Caribbean Export & EPA Implementation in the Caribbean Servi

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TRAINING & CERTIFICATION

SMEs are increasingly gaining prominence as significant engines of innovation and employment generation, and as such the development of these enterprises has emerged as a key instrument in regional poverty reduction efforts. Therefore, enhancing the environment within which SMEs interact with the economy is central to stimulating continuous growth and development. Consequently, it is crucial to strengthen the human and institutional capacities of these firms in order to take advantage of trade and investment opportunities.

(Table 1) to firms and BSOs operating within the services sector. A total of 300 firms across five industries (Figure 3) from 15 CARIFORUM countries (Figure 4) have benefited from these programmes to date; 62% of these were female-owned firms. Caribbean Export delivered these training and certification programmes to provide members who trade in services with a range of requisite skills in an effort to not only enhance their institutional capacity, but also meet the various requirements for successful leveraging of the benefits of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA, and gaining entry into the European markets.

The primary assets of any firm, especially SMEs, are their human capital. These assets are even more valuable in the knowledge-based economy, where intangible services and variables are of growing importance. Augmenting the capacity of SMEs, through a focus on human capital, is a priority for Caribbean Export as this will not only improve the skills of the overall population but also stimulate continuous productivity within firms and, ultimately, drive economic growth. The Agency provides viable SMEs and entrepreneurs, in select industries, with the training and certification they need to expand their markets and diversify their exports. In essence, Caribbean Export enables firms to strengthen their ability to compete in the global market. This facility is also extended to BSOs to help them to strengthen their own capacity to serve the regional private sector. CARIFORUM firms and BSOs participate in training related to: investment promotion, grant proposal writing, management consulting, export marketing, brand development and packaging, trade information, and intellectual property rights, among others. During the current EDF programming, the Agency has delivered a range of training and certification programmes