Ghana, US Virgin Islands to sign deal to recruit nurses and teachers

• Ghana and the US Virgin Islands plan to sign an MoU in November 2026 to recruit Ghanaian nurses and teachers to address staff shortages.

• The proposed agreement will establish a recruitment framework, but the number of workers, qualifications and employment conditions are yet to be announced.

• The partnership forms part of Ghana’s efforts to create overseas job opportunities through the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme.

Ghana and the United States Virgin Islands are expected to formalise a partnership in November 2026 to facilitate the recruitment of Ghanaian nurses and teachers to help address staff shortages in the territory.

The proposed agreement follows discussions between a Ghanaian delegation and senior officials of the Virgin Islands government at Government House on St. Thomas.

The engagement comes as Governor Albert Bryan Jr. pursues efforts to strengthen the territory’s healthcare and education workforce by recruiting qualified professionals to fill positions that have been difficult to staff locally.

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Ghana was represented by Gilbert Attipoe, Presidential Aide at the Office of the Chief of Staff; Bediako Kwabena Acheampong, Technical Coordinator at the Office of the President; and Samuel Kodom, Administrator and Executive Aide to the Minister for Labour, Employment and Job Creation.

The discussions focused on opportunities to recruit Ghanaian nurses and teachers to support the territory’s healthcare and education systems.

The planned Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), expected to be signed in November, will provide a framework for cooperation between the two sides on the recruitment of the professionals.

However, details regarding the number of nurses and teachers to be recruited, the required qualifications and the conditions of employment have not yet been announced.

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The proposed arrangement forms part of Ghana’s broader efforts to establish international labour partnerships that create employment opportunities for skilled professionals while helping countries address workforce shortages.

The government has been pursuing the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme to facilitate structured overseas employment for Ghanaians across various sectors.

In September 2026, Ghana signed an MoU with the City of Columbus, Ohio, in the United States to establish a framework for employment opportunities for Ghanaian nurses. The arrangement placed emphasis on ethical recruitment and protecting the welfare and professional interests of health workers.

The proposed partnership with the US Virgin Islands could extend these efforts to the education sector, potentially creating opportunities for Ghanaian teachers alongside nurses.

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In January 2026, Ghana deployed its first batch of 121 nurses, midwives and other allied healthcare professionals to Antigua and Barbuda under the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme.

The government has also been pursuing similar opportunities in other countries as it seeks to address unemployment among trained professionals and respond to international demand for skilled workers.

Further details on the proposed US Virgin Islands agreement, including recruitment procedures and employment terms, are expected to emerge as the two sides work towards formalising the partnership in November.