Hon. Rachel Taylor
Hon. Rachel Taylor
Hon. Rachel Marshall Taylor
Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Social Services
Rachel Taylor was born on the island of South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). She was educated at Mico Teacher’s College in Jamaica, Turks and Caicos Islands Community College and Oxford Brookes University in the UK.
The Enid Capron Primary School in Five Cays, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, has been Rachel's place of employment for the past 20 years as both a teacher and principal. After more than 20 years in the educational field, Rachel embodies the ideal of what a teacher should be: the pinnacle of knowledge, nourishing many lives, a source of inspiration, and someone who makes learning an ongoing process through compassion, sharing and communication.
With her bubbly disposition and charismatic personality, Rachel is renowned for her work in effectively revamping The Enid Capron Primary School situated in a low socio-economic district. According to Rachel's educational philosophy, each child is unique and deserves to learn in a dynamic setting so that they can develop on all levels—mentally, emotionally, and socially, so at the Enid Capron Primary regardless of their background in school, income, or race children learned and played in a fun atmosphere. With her supportive team, she inculcated a culture of inclusiveness and children had the opportunity to engage in social sciences, performing arts, and athletics, fostering the development of the holistic learner.
As she grew in her commitment to the community, Rachel forged lifelong partnerships with both businesses and churches. Her outstanding work at the Enid Capron Primary and service to the community made her the recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow Award by Rotary International of Providenciales. She is a Past President and National Programme Action Leader of the Soroptimist International of Providenciales, a global organization that works to enhance the lives of women and girls and a Director
of Crime Stoppers International of Providenciales helping to foster a triparte relationship - the police services of a community, the media and the community in the fight against crime. This involvement gave her the opportunity to become the first Coordinator of the Neighbourhood Watch Programme in the Chalk Sound Community. Rachel has worked closely with NGOs TCI in 2020, a group of organizations that partnered to bring much relief to vulnerable persons during the Covid 19 pandemic. Her outstanding work in this area made her one of the recipients of the Human Rights Pandemic Hero’s Award presented by the Governor.
From 2015 to 2021, Rachel served as the Provo Children's Home manager. The Provo Children’s Home caters to orphans and the most vulnerable. Her main responsibility as manager was to ensure that the children were provided with optimal care and attention through education, sports, music, personal development and volunteering.
Rachel was drawn to politics by her sincere interest and natural concern for her people as well as her ambition to serve them in a greater capacity. However, she was unsuccessful in the 2016 General Elections. Despite this, her dreams were not shattered and Rachel persisted in fighting for the common man in many ways. On February 19th 2021, Rachel was successful in the general elections and was elected as Member of Parliament for Five Cays, Chalk Sound and South Dock for the Progressive National Party. She was tasked with the responsibilities as Minister of Education, Labour, Employment and Customer Services of the Turks and Caicos Island from February 2020 to December 31st 2022.
During Hon. Taylor’s 1 year and 10 months as Minister, the National Unemployment Benefits was implemented in April 2022 through the National Insurance Scheme. This program helps to protect workers against major income losses during spells of unemployment; enabling unemployed workers to meet basic consumption needs and protect them from having to sell their assets or accept jobs below their qualifications.
Due to Hon. Taylor's dedication and commitment, the national "TCI Career Bridge Program" was launched in June 2022. Through attachments in various organizations in the Public or Private Sector, this internship or apprenticeship program gives interns a valuable experience that improves employability and skills to support them in the transition from school/academic life to the working environment. The program is designed for the benefit of young unemployed postgraduate and graduates who are in the process of or has completed Academic or Technical Vocational Education Training. The scheme is also intended to provide temporary financial relief to unemployed students that are enrolled in an educational program. The ultimate goal of the program is to increase the employability of educated youth who are unemployed in the Turks and Caicos Islands so they can have a better professional future. The first cohort of apprentices and interns received their certificates in August 2022.
As someone who cares deeply about the future of the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Hon. Rachel Marshall Taylor oversaw the establishment of the Free Access to the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College (TCICC) in September 2022 with the goal of promoting lifelong learning and enhancing the human capital development of the TCI population.
The Living Wage Policy, which includes an increase in the Minimum Wage and other Social Programs to support and relieve the most vulnerable, was passed by the Hon. Rachel Taylor, Minister of Labour and Employment Services, in December 2022 and will go into effect in April 2023. The Social Programs include:
a) The implementation of a School Nutrition Program across all public schools
b) The establishment of a National Child Day Care Program
c) The implementation of an After-School Program in all schools
Today, Hon. Taylor’s Ministerial Portfolio has changed slightly as she is now the Minister with responsibilities for Education, Youth, Sports and Social Services, which includes National Insurance.
Hon. Taylor is the wife of Mr. Stuart Taylor and is blessed with one daughter, Arnelle Alexis Taylor.
Hon. Taylor is a very devout worker whose reputation as someone who works ardently for others precedes her.