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For years, we have encouraged our young people to go abroad, get educated, gain experience, and return home to help build St. Vincent and the Grenadines. But perhaps it is time we ask a harder question: when they actually come home, what are we offering them?
I returned after years of studying overseas and gaining professional experience because St. Vincent and the Grenadines is my home. My family is here, and I believe the knowledge and skills I acquired abroad can contribute to the country’s development. I do not regret coming home. However, returning has forced me to confront a reality that deserves more honest discussion: encouraging young Vincentians to return is one thing; creating conditions that allow them to build sustainable lives here is another.
For scholarship recipients especially, coming home is often an expectation attached to the opportunity. The message is straightforward: go, learn, gain the skills the country needs, and return to serve.
But what happens when they do?
What happens when a graduate comes home with qualifications, experience, and a desire to contribute, only to discover that opportunities are limited?
What happens when the position they trained for does not exist, vacancies are scarce, or available jobs offer little room for growth?
These are not simply employment questions. They are questions about whether we are truly prepared for the people we keep encouraging to return.
A scholarship does not mean a graduate returns financially secure. Many still carry personal expenses, family responsibilities, relocation costs, and professional obligations. Returning home can mean starting over financially while entering a small labour market where opportunities may not match one’s qualifications.
This is why the conversation about brain drain must become more balanced. We often ask why educated Vincentians stay abroad and point to the investment made in their education. Those concerns are valid. However, we must also ask what awaits them when they return.
A degree cannot create a job that does not exist, and patriotism cannot pay the bills.
There is also a difference between employment and meaningful employment. A graduate may find work, but that does not necessarily mean they are using their skills, working in their field, or earning an income that reflects their qualifications. Underemployment can be just as frustrating as unemployment.
After years of study and professional development, returning home only to struggle for suitable work can be deeply discouraging. It can make a young person question whether there is truly a place for them in the country they were encouraged to come back and serve.
The emotional impact should not be overlooked. Many return with hopes of building careers, supporting families, and contributing to their communities. Instead, some find themselves submitting application after application, waiting months for responses, accepting work outside their fields, or watching opportunities pass them by.
Eventually, the question becomes unavoidable: if I cannot build a future here, how long can I realistically stay?
To be fair, the Government has recognised this challenge. In March 2026, Minister of State Hon. Laverne King highlighted concerns about scholarship recipients failing to return home and acknowledged job security as a major issue. Government has also discussed aligning scholarships with national priorities and exploring a return fund to assist graduates transitioning home.
Those discussions are encouraging, but recognition must be followed by action.
If we genuinely want graduates to return and remain, scholarship planning cannot happen separately from employment planning. Before sending students overseas to specialise in particular areas, there should be a clearer understanding of where those skills will be needed when they return. Government, private-sector employers, educational institutions, and scholarship providers should work together to create stronger pathways from education into employment.
Returning graduates also need practical support. Career placement services, internships, mentorship programmes, professional networks, and assistance for aspiring entrepreneurs could significantly ease the transition home. If entrepreneurship is promoted as an alternative to traditional employment, young people need more than encouragement. They need access to financing, training, markets, and a business environment in which ventures have a realistic chance of succeeding.
We must also have a serious conversation about salaries, working conditions, and opportunities for advancement. Young Vincentians are not asking for handouts. Most are willing to work hard and contribute to national development. They simply want to afford a decent quality of life, support their families, and feel that their education has opened doors rather than added another qualification to a resume.
I am not writing this because I regret coming home. I returned because I believe in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and because I believe our country is worth investing in. But loving your country and being able to build a future in your country must coexist.
We cannot continue telling our young people to come home and give back without considering what they are coming home to.
If we want our graduates, professionals, and scholarship recipients to return, then coming home must be more than an obligation. It must be a viable choice.
We told them to come home. Now, what are we going to do to make sure they can stay today?
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