The V.I. Division of Personnel announced on Monday the rollout of the Retirees Re-Entry Program (RRP), which seeks to leverage retired public sector professionals to fill vital government roles amid the territory’s current labor crunch. 

Enabled by legislation previously passed in the Senate, the program “offers a pathway for retirees to return to government service in hard-to-fill positions without forfeiting their annuities, thus presenting a win-win scenario for both the government and the retiree,” said Personnel Director Cindy Richardson.

As a criteria to participate, she noted that retirees would have had to have left government service at least nine months prior before reapplying, “thus maintaining a balance between fresh retirement and re-engagement in public service.” The re-hired retirees will only be allowed to serve a single three-year term for the most part, “with specific exceptions for critical roles such as nurses, teachers and police officers,” Ms. Richardson noted.

Governor Bryan praised the program for its flexibility, noting that returnees are able to work part-time hours if they so choose.

The initiative comes at a time where unemployment levels are historically low, which has led to “a real problem finding skilled workers to do some of these jobs,” the governor said. Nevertheless, the intention is to ensure that younger or less-tenured government workers are being trained and upskilled while the retirees return to work on a short-term basis. “By the time they are ready to leave, we have other people coming on or people will train up enough to do those jobs,” Governor Bryan anticipated.

Ms. Richardson noted that there are about 140 open positions currently seeking applicants, and Governor Bryan informed that government departments and divisions can add openings to the Retirees Re-Entry Program once they have been posted for at least three weeks without any other suitable applicants.