An Education Needs Assessment of CARIFORUM Firms

Regarding the private sector’s participation in training, most respondents (52.6%) participated in

training in the last 3 years (see Figure 14). The training received varied but among the most popular

were Accounting and Finance, Business Development and Management (including entrepreneurial

training), Certification (GMP, HACCP, PROSCI, organic certifications, etc.), Customer Service

and Relations, E-commerce and Digital/Online Presence, Export Readiness, Human Resources,

Leadership, Labelling and Packaging, and Marketing. As shown in Figure 15, most respondents

(81.1%) found the training they received helpful in executing their roles.

Figure 14: Usefulness of training

Figure 15: Recent participation in training programmes

Has your business participated in any training programmes or activities in the last 3 years?

How useful was this training?

Not at all useful

0.0%

Not so useful

2.4%

47%

53%

Somewhat useful

16.5%

Very useful

39.6%

Extremely useful

41.5%

Yes No

Figure 16 highlights the main challenges faced with private sector participation in training

activities, notably high costs (54%), insufficient time/resources (41%), and the lack of relevant

training programmes (37. 2%) among others identified in Figure 16. High costs and insufficient

time/resources are in line with findings from the desk research where studies like PwC (2021b)

found that on-the-job training was difficult due primarily to the lack of time, budget, structure, and

other issues. Some businesses further specified COVID-19 restrictions; lack of continuous/regular

training programmes; issues with online training programmes amid growing demand for face-to

face sessions; limited visibility and marketing of existing programmes; unsatisfactory quality of

training; limited availability of customised training; and inappropriate times for training sessions

as “Other” challenges not captured under the list in Figure 1 6.

50