This article delves into the persistent skills gap hindering the Caribbean’s economic progress, expanding on insights from a recent Barbados Today newspaper piece. It examines the workplace realities that perpetuate this issue and whether a cohesive, system-wide approach is emerging in the region to tackle this challenge.

 

Globally, and to varying degrees, job markets are tight. Employers are struggling to find the right candidate for key roles, and the situation is becoming more complex due to the speed at which markets are evolving, which is being reflected in the workplace and the skills that are in demand.  

The recent article in Barbados Today, “Skilled labour needed for work of the future,” highlights a crucial issue for the Caribbean: the persistent skills gap and its impact on productivity. While the article focuses on Barbados to some degree, the challenges it outlines are prevalent across the Caribbean region. A closer look reveals a pattern of workplace realities that hinder progress, but also signs of a system-wide effort to close the gap.

 

The unspoken truths of Caribbean employment

In many Caribbean countries, the traditional approach to employment is marked by three consistent issues. First, many employers do not know what skills they truly need. They often have a generic, wishful list of requirements and assume a pool of suitable talent will simply appear when needed. This lack of clear foresight creates a mismatch, leaving both job seekers and businesses frustrated.

Second, there is a pervasive reluctance among employers to pay for the skills they claim to need. This mindset creates a paradox: businesses demand high-level competence but offer compensation that doesn’t reflect the value of those skills. This discourages local talent from seeking work in the region, leading to a ‘brain drain’ as professionals migrate for better opportunities.

Finally, a deep-seated reluctance to invest in employee development remains a significant hurdle. Many Caribbean employers view training as a cost rather than an investment. Although it can be argued that such a posture is justified, as employees may choose to leave before the organisation has recouped the value of that investment, it also creates an unhealthy dynamic in the workplace. Employers are reluctant to help upskill their employees for fear they will leave, but at the same time, they are not getting access to the necessary skills and expertise, resulting in the business suffering. This short-term thinking stymies innovation and leaves companies unprepared for technological advancements, perpetuating the very skills gap they complain about.

Having said this, and as mentioned in the Barbados Today article, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) predominate in the Caribbean region, and tend to represent at least 70% to 80% of all enterprises in individual countries. The above points are most relevant to them, and thus would reflect the majority. Frequently, they are under-resourced or otherwise do not have the wherewithal to carefully assess their recruitment demands, offer competitive remuneration and implement much-needed upskilling and retraining programmes to remain relevant and competitive.  

 

A system-wide approach: Are we there yet?

The Barbados Today article rightly calls for a system-wide approach to address the skills gap. A coordinated effort among governments, educational institutions, the private sector, and civil society would be essential. Although a truly integrated system is still in its nascent stages in many Caribbean countries, there is evidence of progress.

For example, in Jamaica, the government has been promoting initiatives like the Human Employment and Resource Training (HEART) Trust, which has been reformed to better align training programs with the needs of various industries, including those in the growing BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) sector. Similarly, Trinidad and Tobago has seen partnerships between its National Training Agency and energy companies to ensure a steady supply of skilled technicians for the petrochemical industry. Although these efforts are steps in the right direction, they are often fragmented and lack the consistent, high-level coordination needed to effect systemic change.

 

Recommendations for Caribbean SMEs

For Caribbean SMEs, which form the backbone of most economies across the region, closing the skills gap is not just an option—it is a matter of survival. Here are some recommendations to boost productivity and performance:

  • Embrace internships, apprenticeships and mentorship: Many tertiary-level academic programmes require students to engage in on-the-job training. Partner with vocational schools, community colleges or universities to create structured apprenticeship programmes or to offer internships to provide students with relevant experience before they graduate. These options provide a direct pipeline for talent and allow the companies to train workers to their specific needs from the start.
  • Form industry clusters: A frequently overlooked yet powerful option is for SMEs in the same sector to collaborate to share training resources and expertise. Through pooling resources, they will be in a position to afford higher-quality training programs that would be too expensive for any single company to bear. Such a collective investment model spreads the cost and maximises impact.
  • Implement micro-credentialing: Micro-credentialing is a more cost-effective and agile way to upskill staff. Instead of demanding broad degrees, which tends to be the practice in the Caribbean, SMEs could focus on hiring for specific, in-demand skills and offer support for employees to earn micro-credentials in areas like digital marketing, data analysis, or project management.
  • Promote a culture of continuous learning: Finally, SMEs ought to create an environment where learning is not a one-time event but a continuous process. This could involve small, regular workshops, access to online learning platforms, or even internal knowledge-sharing sessions. A learning-focused culture not only improves skills but also boosts employee morale and retention.

 

The Caribbean’s journey toward a knowledge-based economy is a marathon, not a sprint. However, for a true transformation to occur, the burden cannot fall solely on governments and large corporations. The key to unlocking the region’s full potential lies in the hands of its SMEs. Through the strategies proposed, Caribbean SMEs can move beyond the old paradigms and become active participants in building a more skilled and productive regional workforce.

 

 

Image credit:  rawpixel.com (Freepik)