News
Almost 300 Jobs, 127 coming seeking work, says Labour Commissioner
#TurksandCaicos, November 5, 2021 – There are more jobs available in Turks and Caicos than there are people to fill them, and this was again laid bare at the recent ‘pop up’ job fair hosted by the Employment Services Department, which welcomed major employers with nearly 300 positions available. The Department reported that it logged 127 people turned out on the hunt for work; they were good candidates but not nearly enough to cover the need.
“I think in some instances we do struggle to find the skillset locally so it wouldn’t be fair to say that it is across the board, there are some positions for which you can definitely find the talent locally and the ones thing as someone who works in Human Resources, that I am constantly reminded of is that you can hire the personality and always train the skill. There are some positions of course, where there is a requirement for skill from the onset and in those instances, sometimes we don’t have a choice but to look elsewhere.
Sheeba Wilson, was one of the many Human Resources Manages who came fully prepared to recruit. Wilson, is also a motivation speaker and life coach and shared that even if companies are fortunate enough to pull talent from another in country entity, it still creates a void.
“So, I think that the approach that the government has been taking in terms of looking at what skills are lacking and trying to get scholarships for those particular areas is a good one, but it is going to take some time to build up to that pool of talent. And I encourage employers to, with the younger persons, bring them in as interns. We have many success stories of persons who started out as interns and have grown in the industry and that could be in any industry. That’s an approach we can try to take to assist…”
This low showing was however not discouraging. In fact, most companies were beaming about the opportunity and some found what they needed with the hope that the Department could turn the Job Fair into a quarterly event.
“Today was a very successful day for us as a team. We are actively looking to hire a number of persons I various
roles, frontline persons as in flight attendants and customer service agents behind the scene, ramp agents and security. We have accomplished quite a bit of interviews today and we feel that we will be able to hire more than half of the need to fill the roles we are currently looking to fill. I was saying to my colleague, that they should do this every three months” said Claudette Gibson, Human Resources Manager, interCaribbean Airways.
The caliber of candidates presenting themselves for the jobs at the Job Fair held on Friday October 29 at the Down Town Ball Park in Providenciales, was impressive to the HR teams on site.
“Pleased is an understatement. This has worked out very well for InterCaribbean Airways which has some 64 job openings according to Mrs. Gibson.
Edwin Taylor, Labour Commissioner of the Turks and Caicos Islands confirmed there were nearly 300 positions being offered by the companies at the Job Fair, which opened from 10am to 2pm. In an open air environment, with tents, tables and chairs provided by the Department, anyone who needed work or wanted to consider a career change was invited to come out.
The rush came early, and was a good mix of male and female, mostly younger and a few older job seekers.
“We were able to actually find some really good candidates. One thing that stood out were the smiles. We hire personalities,” said Sheeba Wilson, Group Director of Human Resources, Grace Bay Resorts, adding, “You can always train the skill but it is important for the person to come with the right attitude and to have that warmth that is required in hospitality. We found a lot of that today and so it’s now just going back and going through who were the stand-out candidates and just contacting them to meet with the various department managers.”
Wilson reminded that tourism high season is approaching and the Job Fair provided a “perfect” environment to connect with fresh talent.
“I think it was actually a good balance between male and female and in terms of the generations, I think most of persons were younger people between the ages of 18 to about 35.”
Leading grocery store chains were on site namely: Graceway Supermarkets and Sunny Foods; a local beverage company, Turks Head Brewery needed five new staffers. There were jobs in the aviation industry with interCaribbean Airways and TCA Handling; security firms with some 60 jobs open including WCCS were on site; the health sector had the TCI Hospitals and leading resorts like Hartling Group, Ritz Carlton, Grace Bay Resorts, Turks and Caicos Collection and Beaches Resort Villages & Spa stayed for the full five hour function.
“The island has been busy throughout this year and so it has really been hard trying to find talent so I am glad that the Employment Services Department took the initiative to put this on and to give employers the opportunity to come to the people; we were able to scout and find those personalities and further development them,” explained Wilson.
There were 17 companies at the Employment Services Department Job Fair.
The Bahamas, August 27, 2026 – The Royal Bahamas Police Force wishes to inform members of the public that several individuals are scheduled to appear before the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 27th August 2026, at 12:00 noon.
The individuals and charges are as follows:
An 18-year-old female is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:
Three (3) counts of Murder
Three (3) counts of Attempted Murder
Three (3) counts of Possession of a Firearm with Intent to Endanger Life
Three (3) counts of Possession of an Unlicensed Firearm
Two (2) counts of Possession of Ammunition
Armed Robbery
Abetment to Armed Robbery
Stealing
Receiving
The charges stem from three separate shooting incidents and an armed robbery that occurred on Friday, 21st August 2026, and Saturday, 22nd August 2026.
The first shooting occurred in the area of Soldier Road and Baillou Hill Road, resulting in the death of a 51-year-old male.
The second shooting occurred in the area of Joe Farrington Road, resulting in the death of a 52-year-old male.
The third shooting occurred in the area of Gladstone Road, resulting in the death of a 36-year-old male.
The armed robbery occurred at a business establishment in the area of Carmichael Road and Baillou Hill Road.
A 21-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on one charge of:
- Murder
The charge stems from a shooting incident that occurred on Tuesday, 21st July 2026, in the area of Samson Street, Nassau Village, which resulted in the death of a 28-year-old male.
A 32-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:
- Murder
- Attempted Murder
These charges stem from a shooting incident that occurred on Wednesday, 24th December 2025, in the area of Graham Drive, Yellow Elder, which resulted in the death of a 25-year-old male.
RBPF, PACD
by Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
PROVIDENCIALES, TCI — In a country where government press conferences are virtually non-existent, ministers are often difficult for
journalists to access and regular broadcast television news has disappeared, TCI Innovation, Technology and Energy Minister E. Jay Saunders has challenged Caribbean media to become “impossible to ignore.”
Speaking at the Caribbean Broadcasting Union gathering, Saunders argued that the Caribbean does not have a relevance problem but a “discoverability and positioning problem.”
Discoverability is precisely the issue in Saunders’ home country. Even Government’s own attempts at video news broadcasting have struggled against the realities of consistently producing a daily, weekly or even monthly newscast.
The difficulties confronting TCI media extend well beyond algorithms: limited advertising revenue, underfunding, shortages of trained professionals and insufficient human capacity leave newsrooms struggling for both staff and stamina.
Then there is the reality of operating in one of the region’s smallest societies. Politicians, journalists, advertisers, businesses and the subjects of stories often exist within the same tight economic and social circles. A controversial report that might create a ripple elsewhere can produce a tsunami in TCI, intensifying concerns among journalists about commercial and professional victimisation.
Saunders believes AI can help.
He urged Caribbean media to use the technology to transform one original story into television, radio, web, podcast, social and translated content without multiplying newsroom workload.
He also wants regional journalism structured so AI systems can find, understand and trust Caribbean sources, moving media beyond traditional SEO into Answer Engine Optimisation.
His ultimate message was emphatic: “Use AI not to make Caribbean media more artificial — but to make Caribbean voices more visible.”
For Turks and Caicos media, however, becoming visible may require more than technology. It requires an environment in which journalism can survive.
That last sentence is where I think we land the plane. It acknowledges that EJ actually has some us
Bahamas News
Bahama Brass Band Invitation Sparks Heritage Debate Ahead of TCI Constitutional Holiday
Turks and Caicos, August 20, 2026 – The planned participation of the Bahama Brass Band in the Turks and Caicos Islands’ inaugural Constitutional Holiday celebrations on August 30 has sparked public debate over culture, heritage and the historical contributions of Turks and Caicos Islanders abroad.
Organizers defended the invitation, saying the band’s inclusion is intended to highlight the deep historical ties between the two countries
and honor Turks and Caicos men who helped establish and develop the institution in Grand Bahama.
According to the organizers, the Bahama Brass Band began in 1955 in Pine Ridge, Freeport, with Turks and Caicos Islanders, including the late Deacon Reuben Hall Sr. of Middle Caicos and Jenkins Williams and Mervin Hendfield of North Caicos, among those who helped build its foundation. The band eventually grew to more than 50 men.
The organizers also pointed to the participation of Turks and Caicos men in The Bahamas’ Independence celebrations on July 10, 1973, arguing that their contributions became part of Bahamian history while maintaining strong connections to their homeland.
Supporters say bringing the band home represents an opportunity to honor those pioneers, showcase their regional influence and expose younger generations to an important part of Turks and Caicos history.
However, concerns raised publicly described the invitation as potentially disrespectful to local culture and heritage. Organizers acknowledged those concerns, apologizing to anyone who felt overlooked or offended, while maintaining that no disrespect was intended.
The committee said the event should ultimately unite rather than divide, presenting the band’s history as evidence of the reach and resilience of Turks and Caicos heritage.
PHOTO CREDIT: Bahamas Brass Band
