Governor Albert Bryan Jr. convened senior cabinet officials and representatives from Ghana on Friday at Government House on St. Thomas to discuss recruiting nurses and teachers from West Africa for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The territory has long struggled with persistent staffing gaps in its healthcare and public education systems. Rather than rely indefinitely on costly temporary solutions such as traveling nurses, locum tenens, and mainland contractors, local leaders are exploring whether a formal pipeline of foreign professionals could help stabilize the workforce.
Bryan said the territory must balance multiple priorities. "We have to be practical about how we address those needs," he said in a statement. "That means continuing to invest in developing our own people while exploring opportunities to attract qualified professionals who can help fill critical gaps."
Friday's meeting builds on the governor's broader effort to strengthen ties with West Africa. In November 2025, Bryan traveled to Accra and met with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. That visit paved the way for a January 2026 memorandum of understanding signed on St. Thomas with the Ghana Tourism Authority during a USVI-Africa Mini Summit, though that agreement focused on trade, tourism, and cultural exchange rather than workforce placement.
Converting Friday's discussions into actual job placements will require clearing multiple obstacles. Any formal recruitment arrangement would need to satisfy professional licensing standards, background checks, and federal immigration and visa requirements. The Trump administration has tightened immigration enforcement, making the process of securing work permits and green card pathways for foreign professionals significantly more complex.
Government House said that working groups from both sides will continue evaluating qualifications, legal requirements, and staffing needs before any formal agreement moves forward.
Local participants included Dr. Gary Molloy, Commissioner of the V.I. Department of Labor; Dr. Renee Charleswell, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Education; Dr. Nicole Syms, Assistant Commissioner of the Department of Health; Dr. Tai Hunte, Chief Medical Officer; O'Shana Garcia, Nursing Director; and Shanna O'Reilly, Chief of Staff to the Governor. Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion, Economic Development Authority CEO Wayne Biggs Jr., and EDA Governing Board Chairman Kevin Rodriquez joined by video.
The Ghanaian delegation comprised Gilbert Attipoe, Presidential Aide; Nhyira Sarfo Adu-Amankwah, Director of Labour; Bediako Kwabena Acheampong, Technical Coordinator; Samuel Kodom, Administrator; and Nelson Ndebah Ndebugre, Presidential Staffer.
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