CARICOM launches teachers’ component of Skilled Workers Programme
Published:Wednesday | March 8, 2023 | 1:01 AMAsha Wilks/ - Gleaner Writer
NINETEEN CARICOM teachers have been placed in secondary schools in Barbados, Belize, Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago over the course of a two-week period from March 6 to 17.
This follows the hybrid launch of the teachers’ component of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Skilled Workers Programme, which was held on Monday at the CARICOM Secretariat headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana.
The overall objective of the activities within the programme is to support member states in their national advocacy efforts to implement the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), particularly the free movement of CARICOM skilled citizens.
Renee Atwell, dean of the CARICOM youth ambassador corps, said during her remarks that young people were crucial participants in the integration movement, as they were viewed as future leaders of governments and states. In addition, Atwell noted that the youth brought to the table a level of creativity and innovation that has a transformative effect on the decision-making processes.
She noted that the Skilled Workers Programme was a “welcomed advancement, not only by young people, but all CARICOM people”, as she had observed through her own, personal interactions that young professionals and tertiary and secondary-school students lacked knowledge about the CSME. She said that those who did not fall under the category of youth have repeatedly enquired about opportunities which exist in the free movement regime.
“This shows that public education and the training of critical stakeholders was necessary,” she said, noting that through this programme, individuals’ knowledge and capacity will be strengthened to become greater champions for integration among young people in the region.
It is hoped that after the programme, a framework will be created for the advancement and success of the CSME, said Volika Jaikishun, deputy chief education officer (development) within the Ministry of Education, Guyana.
She noted that the common experiences and challenges that the Caribbean region faces demanded collaborative intervention.
“Our teachers... in the initial cohort will emerge an ideal advocate for integration ... and I trust their experience will enhance their professional growth,” she said.
Other components of the Skilled Workers Programme, which will be rolled out later this year, involve attachments to the CARICOM Secretariat for CARICOM youth ambassadors, extensions to other CARICOM member states for border control officers, and national CSME focal points.
REGIONAL PROGRAMME
According to Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska, head of the European Union (EU) delegation to Barbados, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, CARICOM, and the Caribbean Forum, the EU would continue its partnership with the region, particularly in the support of the CSME, which has been proven to be crucial in boosting economic growth.
“For those who doubt the potential of the CSME, I can categorically say that the European Single Market is one of the European Union’s greatest achievements (and) seeks to guarantee the free movement of goods, capital, services and people, known collectively as the ‘four freedoms’,” she said.
She added that similarly to the EU’s single market – which is the world’s largest single market area with over 440 million consumers – the CSME, once fully realised, has the potential to fuel economic growth and make everyday life easier for consumers and businesses for the Caribbean region.
She expressed that the programme came at “a pivotal time” as the EU, within the coming months, will roll out a new agreement to define their relationship with Latin America and the Caribbean over the next few years.
“The new EU regional programme for the Americas and the Caribbean, known as the ‘global gateway’, is part of the EU’s global efforts of advancing a green and sustainable, global economic recovery. It will seek to fight inequalities, build more prosperous, inclusive and sustainable societies, particularly for women and young people, and promote human rights, democracy, peace and security,” said Wasilewska.
She continued that it further aims to strengthen multilaterals by encouraging reform and tackling global issues like health, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
The agreement will help the Caribbean region generate employment, encourage commerce and investment, create inclusive, secure societies, and take into account institutions that leave no one behind, she said.
“A critical part of this new Caribbean-EU partnership strategy is the strengthening of the CARICOM integration, including support for CSME consolidation,” she said, adding that further details would be revealed in the coming months.