Bridging Skills Gaps for Sustainable Growth

Enhancing economic prospects while fostering sustainable economic change are key to achieving long-term growth. Strong job growth and job creation were reported in the Caribbean in 2023. Progress in reducing the shares of youth in NEET status has been made since 2015, and the unemployment rate is expected to remain stable in 2025, according to the World Employment and Social Outlook report. The region has a remarkable opportunity to boost decent work conditions by addressing youth unemployment and aligning workforce skills with labour market needs.

Emerging industries such as in technology and renewable energy demand new skills and offer the promise of more resilient and sustainable work opportunities. The fast advancement of AI requires the skills to successfully benefit from its transformative potential, creating a synergy that can drive innovation and economic growth, generate high-quality jobs, and address local challenges through technology-driven solutions.

Gaps and shortages of technical and transferable core skills continue to be a major cause of recruitment difficulties in the Caribbean. Identifying and anticipating skills needs in a systematic and comprehensive way can increase the ability of countries to create demand-oriented education and training systems. Initiatives such as quality apprenticeships, that enable learners to acquire the on-demand skills to carry out a specific occupation, are increasingly recognized by their potential for reducing skills mismatches.

The Regional Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Strategy emphasizes the critical relationship between the education sector and other sectors of the economy. To remain relevant and effective, TVET must integrate modern approaches such as skills intelligence, robust apprenticeship programs, and understand and prepare for the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. This event explores these critical areas, providing participants with insights and practical examples.

Webinar registration: Register to receive a link to attend.