Caribbean News
Hundreds of thousands of JOBS coming to the Caribbean
Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
November 25, 2023 – Thousands of jobs, over 300,000, will soon fill Caribbean industries to stimulate the region’s economic growth.
Over the next ten years, the Caribbean Export Development Agency will pour its efforts into enhancing the job field, following a commitment it made recently, to aid in the creation of 400,000 jobs.
To meet this game changing goal, Caribbean Export, working with its partners, is setting its eyes on micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSME’s) via lending aid in financial areas, training as well as market access initiatives.
Further driving this goal to success, the organization says it will invest in important sectors like the transition to green energy, agribusiness, resilient agriculture and infrastructure.
Creating more partnerships and regional trade relationships will help in fulfilling this goal.
This comes as the organization made the promise at the Caribbean Investment Forum, described as “a beacon for economic growth and innovation.”
With this goal now on the roster, the region is on the path to a favorable environment for the development and growth of entrepreneurship, innovation and job creation.
Overtime, if and when this vision comes to pass, the unemployment rate for the Caribbean could potentially be decreased significantly.
Unemployment in the region continues to be an issue, with The Bahamas shouldering the highest at 12 percent; then Suriname at 10.6 percent; Barbados 9.9 percent; Puerto Rico with 7.9 percent; The Dominican Republic, 6.2 percent and Belize carrying the lowest at 5 percent. This is according to Statista’s Research Department Unemployment rate in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2023, by country.
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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