Jobs opportunities up for grabs in Dominica as airport project progresses
The equipment for the construction of Dominica’s massive airport project is expected to arrive this week, the government of Dominica has announced.
Private company China Railway No.5 Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (“CR5”) is bringing the equipment to the island and they are looking for more people to bring in to jumpstart the construction of the airport.
CR5 won the bid last year to oversee the design, construction, supply, completion, testing and commissioning of the international airport meant to serve as a premier global gateway to Dominica.
In a press conference held Monday, Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit encouraged his constituents to grab the job opportunities made available by the airport project.
“I assure you that there will be opportunities for Dominicans, who wish to apply for the jobs which are opening up today,” Skerrit said.
Positions include operators for heavy machinery, truck drivers, surveyors, lab technicians, office assistants, welders, carpenters, masons, and many others.
“One can well appreciate that the project of this magnitude would require a large quantity of equipment, which is not readily available in Dominica at the moment,” Skerrit shared. “I wish to make it fundamentally clear that this does not preclude the engagement of local contractors and owners of heavy equipment, who will have access to jobs during the life of this project.”
According to Skerrit, local people were in charge of the preparatory phases needed to start the airport project.
Local contractors and servicemen were responsible for the construction of over 30 homes to relocate residents to the new Joe Burton development, the clearing of the portions of the site, and also the construction of offices and laboratories.
Skerrit emphasized that the economy benefited including the purchase of materials from local suppliers.
“Because of the size of the project of the airport, there will be workers coming in as the construction phase goes underway. This is not unusual or irregular, and it is certainly no cause for controversy,” Dominica’s prime minister clarified.
He has also warned about the critics “who will seek to cast doubts and undermine this process,” adding that the progress with the airport project is a positive indication that the airport project is taking off, and that the country will begin to see increased activity in the north-northeast of the island and eventually the entire country.
The billion-dollar airport project is developed by MMC Development Ltd., the Dubai-based developing company that has been working closely with the government of Dominica with projects that are geared towards sustainability and climate resilience.
Both parties signed the airport deal in 2021.
The Dominica International Airport will have a 2850-meter runway, a sophisticated terminal building, and ancillary buildings, including but not limited to an ATCT tower, a general aviation hangar, a fuel farm, aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) facility, a central sub-station, a cargo bay and waste disposal/treatment plant.