Deputy Premier and Minister for Labour and Workforce Development Honourable Lorna G. Smith has announced that significant progress is being made towards modernising the operations of the Department of Labour and Workforce Development.

Honourable Smith said in a recent statement that technical preparations are being made for the implementation of a new Labour Management System in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology and consultants. 

The minister said the preparations were a precursor to the pilot phase, where selected employers were to be on boarded on to the system, as part of the rigorous testing that is being undertaken to fine-tune the system's functionality and address any initial challenges before its full rollout to the public. 

Honourable Smith added that a  wide cross section of approximately 33 employers have been on boarded on Tortola, and approximately 27 employers on Virgin Gorda. 

A team from the department is preparing to visit Jost Van Dyke and Anegada during the week of June 17 to onboard employers from those islands.  Approximately 500 employee records have been added to the system so far, and this is expected to reach close to 1,000 by the end of June.

Honourable Smith said despite inevitable teething issues, the transformative impact of the Labour Management System will advance the Territory's labour administration infrastructure.

Minister Smith expressed confidence in the system's potential to significantly reduce work permit application turnaround times and enhance accessibility for both employers and jobseekers, and to offer unparalleled convenience and efficiency to users.  

The indication is that employers who have entered the requisite information when creating their employee records, will be able to have their work permit applications renewed within two weeks or less.  It is also anticipated that applications for new permits will be concluded within four weeks. 

The Deputy Premier extended gratitude to the staff at the department for its contributions to realising this milestone and  reaffirmed the government's commitment to delivering innovative solutions that optimise service delivery and foster economic growth.