An Education Needs Assessment of CARIFORUM Firms

For specialization in GVCs of the most technologically advanced industries, countries require a

population which, on average, has a level of the primary skill needed for the industry at a rate

higher than that of other skills and in other countries, and those with the higher level of the primary

skills must have the right mix of skills (i.e. social and emotional skills including managing,

communicating, self-organising skills and readiness to learn that complement cognitive skills such

as literacy, numeracy and problem-solving within technology-rich environments)(OECD 2017b).

According to OECD (2017b), “a country with a skills mix that is well aligned with the skills

requirements of technologically advanced industries can specialise in these industries on average

10% more than other countries.” Meanwhile , countries need a pool of qualified workers for

increased participation in high-tech manufacturing and business service industries. According to

OECD (2017b) “countries with such workers can specialise in these industries on average 2%

more than countries with skills outcomes are less certain.”

Table 3 presents findings from the International Labour Organization’s Skills for Trade and

Economic Diversification Programme, highlighting some of the current and future skills needed across nineteen tradeable sectors. 4

Table 3: The Skills for Trade and Economic Diversification (STED) Program findings

Common business capability bottlenecks

Examples of linked occupational skill areas

Efficiency and effectiveness of operations

• Technical skills of machine operators, assemblers, crafts, technicians etc. • Production management skills, including people management and engineering • Core and “soft” skills of workers at all levels required for modern work organization and productivity improvement

Compliance with standards and regulations

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Quality assurance and compliance skills

Regulatory management skills

Laboratory scientist and technician skills

Document management skills

Marketing, sales and channel management

Marketing skills, channel management skills

Sales management skills Sales skills

Teleservice skills

Innovation, design and product development

Development engineering and science skills

Design skills

Process engineering skills

Marketing skills

Supply-chain management and logistics

Logistics management and work skills Sourcing and procurement skills

4 These findings were obtained from 19 tradable sectors in 11 developing countries in Africa, Asia and Europe - 8 of these analyses have been in agro-food or food processing; 4 in tourism and hospitality; 2 in pharmaceuticals manufacture; 2 in metals and metallurgy; and 1 each in ready-made garments; furniture; and a composite “light manufacturing” sector.

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