5 Benefits to Working at Home in the USVI via VISTA+

The UVI Research and Technology Park (RTPark) is proud to welcome you to the US Virgin Islands’ signature job search, professional network, and workforce development platform, specifically for the technology and S.T.E.M. community right here in the territory! Our inspiration for launching this program has always been YOU, Virgin Islanders near and far. Why? Well, we know how much amazing talent the USVI has working throughout the diaspora who have left our beautiful home to further and advance their careers or are still at home but not pursuing their passions because of the lack of opportunities. That has been the unfortunate reality for decades, but not anymore!

Over the past few years, the RTPark has been working diligently to build a strong tech hub in the U.S. Virgin Islands, specifically in the areas of business attraction, retention, and expansion. Though we have done great work thus far, we can do even better with a larger, viable workforce for businesses to tap into. THAT’S YOU! We understand the value of your skill sets, experience and knowledge and are eager to connect you with job opportunities at the innovative companies setting up in the USVI today!

Let us breakdown some benefits of the program:

Reverse the Brain Drain – Whether you are still in the USVI or living abroad, we are all invested in the advancement of the territory, socially and economically. When Virgin Islanders return home, we increase human capital and retain more professional knowledge and expertise to solve local challenges, and keep more dollars circulating within the territory which can be applied to community development. Moreover, we envision the territory not only as an innovative island community, but also as a regional leader in innovation by tapping into our USVI talent and nurturing their ideas and skills through professional opportunities right here at home.

Return on Investment – It takes a village to raise a child. We are so thankful to our families, neighbors, and communities for investing their time, energy, and resources into supporting the growth of the amazing talent we produce in the USVI. VISTA+ is a tool to help you pay it forward and give back to the community that lifted you up! We envision an evolving community which not only embraces innovation and the changing global economy, but also values the perseveration of our culture and its generational networks of support. We need you here!

Create Intergenerational Networks of Support – Our families need us.  Whether it be your grandmother, father, aunt, nephew, etc. living in territory, we understand the critical socio-economic need to reinforce our connections to our family structure, traditions, and legacies. By returning or remaining at home, we ensure that our family values live on from generation to generation. Family = Virgin Islands culture.

Live, Play, AND Work – Quality of life is such an important part a person’s value system and a key determinant in deciding where you plant your roots. We all know that the territory checks many boxes, however cost of living can be tricky to manage. Those who work in the tech space, or advanced industries, know that as a growing global industry with highly specialized jobs, pay can be quite attractive. In fact, the average advanced industries worker earns $95,000, which is nearly double what the average worker in other sectors earns, according to the Brookings Institution. As we continue to grow our local tech hub with a talented workforce, we expect this obstacle to be easier to overcome with the increase in attractive job opportunities.

Build a Resilient Workforce – The last few years have been extremely difficult on our island economy. The continued recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria amid a global pandemic and economic crisis has been challenging. Building a sustainable and resilient workforce is key to our community surviving and thriving in the long term. To achieve resiliency, we must diversify our economy by introducing new industries, including tech-based business which is a flexible sector considering you can work from anywhere (even the beach!) and contribute to our community.

So what’s next? Share this post, register for VISTA+ today, and begin your search for your dream job at home in the USVI!