PHILIPSBURG: --- The Minister of VSA Veronica Jansen Webster warned on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers press briefing that the contractor contracted to construct the New General Hospital would need to import foreign labor to conduct critical and specialized work.
The Minister said she heard that there is much talk about the influx of foreign labor, but she wants the community to know that the new hospital is a project of national interest. Jensen Webster said that FINSO would have to bring in at least 300 people to work on the hospital; she said this was disclosed to her in a meeting with the contractors.
The Minister of Labor further explained that FINSO also participates in local job fairs and trains locals to work on the project. Jensen Webster said the last project of such magnitude that required foreign labor was Sonesta Resorts when the resort was being rebuilt.
The Minister of Labor said that the government has been working with the contractor, but those very skilled and specific laborers would have to be brought in.
The lack of Teachers was also discussed.
The Minister also explained that she held a meeting with various school boards that expressed concerns about the global shortage of teachers. The Minister explained that the subsidized schools have always been seeking teachers overseas, but since there is a shortage of teachers globally, the government has been working with these boards to see how they can facilitate them.
