An Education Needs Assessment of CARIFORUM Firms

Agriculture CARICOM is committed to achieving a 20% reduction in the regional food import bill by 2025, having identified 19 potential investment opportunities for displacing extra-regional agri-food imports into member states. industries through initiatives like the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA). Energy Growing emphasis on energy diversification by leveraging hydrocarbon and solar resources across Member States to develop the renewable energy sector and reduce external energy dependency. Health & Health Services Following extreme stress on regional health care systems from the COVID-19 pandemic, Culture Advancing the creative

Agriculture Priorities include transforming agriculture with a focus on targeting non-traditional agriculture exports; alleviating poverty and food insecurity; developing and promoting agro-tourism services; developing synergies with CSME; mobilizing resources for implementation; strengthening the capacities of the OECS Agriculture Unit; securing water resources; and mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. Current projects include Blue BioTrade project focused on boosting Queen Conch trade; and INTERREG CambioNet Project focused on bioeconomic modernization of agriculture. Business Development Supporting business development in areas like Agri-business and Manufacturing ; Creative Sectors like craft, fashion, film, & music; and e-Business, Technology & Innovation . Apart from initiatives under these sectors, other programmes include The Technical Assistance and Coaching Programme for Youth Entrepreneurs focused on strengthening entrepreneurship and leadership skills among youth; The INTERREG Trade Enhancement for the Eastern Caribbean Project to accelerate trade; and The Eastern Caribbean Green Entrepreneurship Initiative to support the development of green businesses . Tourism Projects include niche marketing; The Community-Based Tourism Programme; heritage tourism ; The OECS Network of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Training and Education and the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Tourism; The INTERREG Odyssea Antilles Sustainable Nautical and Cultural Blue Routes Project focused on promoting the tourism blue economy/ blue tourism .

From the CARIFORUM-EU and-UK EPAs the following can be used as a guide to identifying priority sectors. EU investments in CARIFORUM: • Fuel Import & Distribution • Rum Industry • Tourism • Manufacturing & Services for Export • Renewable Energy • Infrastructure

Main EU goods exports to CARIFORUM (2019): •

Mineral Fuels (€687 million) Ships & Boats (€445 million) Motor Vehicles (€196 million)

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Milk (€138 million)

Wheat & Meslin (€138 million)

EU services sector liberalization: EU has liberalized more than 90% of services in the W120 list used as the basis for negotiations under the GATS in the WTO. These include Business Services , Communications , Construction, Distribution , Environmental , Financial , Transport , Tourism and Recreation Services , among others. CARIFORUM services sector liberalization: CARIFORUM’s sectoral coverage ranges between 65-75% but the Dominican Republic has liberalized more than 90% of services. Some main services sectors liberalized by CARIFORUM include: • Business services (accounting, architecture, engineering, etc) Computer and related services

CARICOM is focused on restructuring health care

systems to be more resilient to re-emerging and new diseases.

ICT for Development Following the COVID-19 pandemic CARICOM is

accelerating the implementation of its Single ICT Space which acts as the digital layer of the CSME. Other initiatives include the Girls in ICT initiative to bridge the digital gender divide and the Digital Skills Task Force launched in 2021 to assess current digital skills gaps.

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Research and development services Environmental services Management consultancy services Maritime transport services

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Entertainment services

Tourism services

Tourism Developing sustainable tourism models.

Main CARICOM goods exports to EU (2019)*:

17