18/06/2026
๐ 15 June 2026 Workforce development in focus ๐น๐น
The future of work is being shaped now in Trinidad and Tobago.
NIHERST has officially launched the Assessment of 21st Century Skills Across Emerging Sectors, developed in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO). The initiative brings together government, education, industry, and development partners around one urgent question: do we have the right skills for the jobs of tom@NIHERST has officially launched the Assessment of 21st Century Skills Across Emerging Sectors, developed in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO). The initiative brings together government, education, industry, and development partners around one urgent question: do we have the right skills for the jobs of tomorrow?
At the launch, Joni Musabayana, Director of the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean, delivered a clear message:
"๐ฆ๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฒ. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฒ."
And the data backs it up. Across the Caribbean, skills mismatch is real and measurable. ILO-supported CARICOM analysis shows:
โช Nearly 1 in 4 employed CARICOM migrants in OECD countries are overqualified
โช 37% are underqualified
The result? Lost productivity, limited opportunities, and slower growth.
This new assessment examines five fast-growing sectors:
โ Maritime
โ๏ธ Aviation
๐จ Tourism
๐ป Software Design & Applications
๐พ Agro-processing
Through interactive activation spaces, participants explored the skills that will drive innovation, competitiveness, and inclusive growth.
The message is clear: identifying skills gaps is the first step. The next is action, stronger skills forecasting, better labour market data, lifelong learning, and social dialogue among governments, employers, and workers.
๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐, ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ๐, ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ.
UN Trinidad & Tobago Ministry of Labour Small and Micro Enterprise Development
