St. Maarten’s first-time attendance at the Emigration Fair in Houten, the Netherlands, (see related story) was a good move. There are urgent vacancies especially in the education and healthcare fields on the island.
Schools and St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) must fill certain functions quickly and there just aren’t enough suitable local candidates. Other Dutch Caribbean territories too use the annual fair to recruit much-needed personnel.
Locally, there is also work available as legal expert for government or the newly established National Recovery Bureau. The execution of projects to “build back stronger” St. Maarten following the devastating passage of record-strength Hurricane Irma in September 2017, with means from the Trust Fund sponsored by the Netherlands and managed by the World Bank, obviously requires plenty of knowledge in that area, considering the strict procurement rules and procedures involved.
Visitors to the event were reportedly surprised by the results of the reconstruction process so far, despite mostly negative feedback from the political establishment and others in both The Hague and Philipsburg. It shows that reasonable people can and will make up their own minds once objective information is presented.
While some might again complain about jobs going to persons coming from elsewhere, constantly saying such, and preparing qualified alternatives, are two totally different things. The various training courses in hospitality, nursing and construction offered to under- or unemployed persons were a big help in that regard, but it’s practically impossible to have all open positions occupied by islanders in the short term, particularly under the current circumstances.
