Re-engagements reflect need for continued institutional expertise; over 2000 young Bahamians hired
By Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle /Minister of Labour and the Public Service
STATEMENT: Over the past three years, the Davis administration has recruited and integrated a talented new generation of Bahamians into the public service, while also leveraging the benefits of institutional
expertise and proficiencies.
Among the 2,000 young Bahamians we’ve hired, many are already serving in senior roles and making significant contributions. For us, it is a great source of pride and optimism that these emerging leaders will be shaping policy and public service for years to come.
Earlier this week, we noted in Parliament that the public service has also re-employed a number of pensioners.
Although the figure provided totalled 491, we are now able to confirm that 450 of these individuals have been officially re-employed. The remaining 41 persons listed have not been renewed to date.
In 213 of these cases – that is, nearly half – the individuals have been re-employed by the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF). In some instances, individuals have reached the required years of service but have not yet reached retirement age. The Police Force has benefited from the experience of seasoned personnel, who have helped to mitigate understaffing in some units, respond to surges in crime, and mentor new recruits.
Across the public service, each re-employment decision is made after an assessment of the individual’s ability to provide operational support, fill gaps, mentor newer employees, or otherwise offer value.
Based on this assessment, individuals with technical and administrative experience are often rehired to preserve legacy knowledge and temporarily provide expertise in needed areas until the identified gaps can be filled. This is not ideal, but it is necessary at times to facilitate efficient operations and prepare new leaders to fill roles.
The rehiring of public servants often serves as a pragmatic short-term solution – for example, there may be gaps in recruitment for vital roles due to competition in the private sector and overseas employment opportunities. But this practice must complement, not detract from, investing in a new generation. Thus, we have kept the percentage of public servants who have been re-employed under 2%.
Much work lies ahead, as we continue to balance the need to ensure operational continuity with the urgent need to innovate as we confront complex new challenges.
As a matter of priority over the past three years, the Ministry has developed reforms aimed at implementing comprehensive succession planning to ensure we build a resilient and adaptive 21st century public service that works for the Bahamian people.
Please find attached to this statement the official publication listing all currently re-employed pensioners for public information.
Counts by Department/Ministry
Department/Ministry Count
Royal Bahamas Police Force 213
Judicial Department 24
Magistrate’s Courts 19
Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Public Service 15
Attorney General’s Office 13
Department of Public Works 11
Department of Public Service 11
Ministry of Finance and Planning 10
Department of Education 9
Ministry of National Security 8
Ministry of Education 7
Office of The Prime Minister 6
Dept. of Road Traffic 6
Department of Inland Revenue 5
Department of Labour 4
Ministry of Health 4
Department of Immigration 4
Prison Department 4
Ministry of Youth Sports & Culture 4
Customs Department 4
Dept. of Local Government 3
Min of The Environment & Housing 3
Governor General 3
Department of Archives 3
Ministry of Tourism 2
Department of Environmental 2
Port Department 2
Ministry of Financial Services 2
Department of Social Services 1
Department of Lands and Survey 1
Treasury Department 1
Registrar General Department 1
Ministry of Grand Bahama 1
Department of Meteorology 1
Department of Physical Planning 1
The Senate 1
Department of Statistics 1
Other units 40
