An Education Needs Assessment of CARIFORUM Firms

training, despite the many educational policies that encourage such (Compete Caribbean 2015).

Some reports, like the Bahamas’ 2014 Private Sector Assessment , highlighted that skills gaps were

not being effectively addressed by existing private or public training institutions (Compete

Caribbean 2015 ). Integrating lifelong learning attitudes among the Caribbean’s ageing population

is challenging and, although more visible in the public sector, can have implications for the private

sector (Cowen et al. 2022). On-the-job training and upskilling (especially for the digital era) are

challenging for the region’s private sector due primarily to the lack of time, budget, structure, clear

incentives for employees, low prioritization among managers and lack of interest among

employees (PwC 2021b). Mohan, Strobl, and Watson (2017) found in-firm training in the

Caribbean to be positively related to firm characteristics like firm size, being part of a larger firm,

exporting, foreign ownership and R&D expenditure, and more recently, Khadan (2018) found that

in-firm training in the Caribbean minimally increases the probability of innovation.

Table 9 provides a snapshot of select training programmes for the private sector. This should not

be considered an exhaustive list but provides insight into some current offerings.

Table 9: Snapshot of Select Training Programmes for the Private Sector

Caribbean Export Development Agency Training Programmes

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Productivity Network / PRoNET The Caribbean Export in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) offers ProNET training to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). It is a business management programme for small businesses meant to help firms navigate the opportunities available under the Economic Partnership Agreement. 122 persons completed modules in cost and financial management, export management, quality management, information & knowledge management, and production management. Beneficiaries include the Bahamas (coming to Freeport, Bahamas in September 2022), Belize, Haiti, and Jamaica (Caribbean Export 2021a). Services Go Global (SGG) SGG is one of Caribbean Export flagship programmes. It seeks to support services exporters to become export ready and to penetrate foreign markets. Participants are guided through a 4-stage Roadmap covering four key areas. These include (i) preparing your business, (ii) conducting market research, (iii) developing a marketing strategy and (iv) entering the market (Caribbean Export Development Agency n.d.). Upon completion participants receive an export training programme certification. During 2021, 7 SGG virtual training sessions were hosted resulting in 145 certifications. Caribbean Export has also worked with the Trinidad and Tobago Coalition of Services (TTCSI) over the last 3 years to produce over 130 SGG graduates from seven CARIFORUMMember States (Trinidad and Tobago Coalition of Services Industries 2022). They also launched the inaugural Annual Caribbean Lawrence Placide Services Go Global Award in August 2021. The winners received coaching services funded by Caribbean Export and the European Union, including one-on-one sessions with a certified trainer, towards the completion and implementation of their export plan (Caribbean Export 2021b).

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• Business of Music (BOM) Accelerator Program

BOM programme was launched in 2016 in collaboration with the Caribbean Network of Services Coalitions (CNSC). It was developed to support the development of the Caribbean’s music industry with

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