Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis, who has responsibility for national manpower planning, is announcing for public information that labour skills assessments are currently being concluded for the Information Communication Technology Platforms and Services as well as the Energy Engineering Sub-Sectors of Trinidad and Tobago.
Over the past seven months, work was undertaken to assess labour skills needs in these two priority sectors. The resulting assessments, with their forecasted skills requirements and recommendations will form the basis for developing sector skills strategies, closing skills gaps and tackling skills shortages in Trinidad and Tobago. Minister Robinson-Regis indicates that with meeting the demand for forecasted skills along with implementing the proposed policy recommendations, there will be employment generation, enhanced productivity and general economic growth. In this regard, the skills assessments benefit the public and private sectors and by extension all of Trinidad and Tobago.
In November 2020, the Ministry of Planning and Development, as part of its mandate to carry out National Manpower Planning activities, collaborated with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in conjunction with Generation Unlimited (GenU) to secure the services of a consultant to conduct labour skills assessments in the Energy Engineering Services and Information Communications Technology (ICT) Platforms and Services Sub-Sectors. In that regard, GenU contributed grant funding in the amount of $100,000 USD, to establish the consultancy through the Ministry of Planning and Development.
Minister Robinson-Regis, whose ministry is mandated to conduct national manpower planning activities will officially receive the finalised reports on the ICT and Energy Engineering Sub-Sectors sometime within the second quarter of 2022.
The Planning Minister emphasized the Government’s commitment to work with national development partners to ensure that appropriate sector skills planning is implemented in Trinidad and Tobago. According to the Minister, this will provide data driven justification for labour market decision making in both the public and private sectors, encourage demand-driven approaches for skills development and acquisition, inform strategic priorities while enhancing policy and programme intervention design. This also aims to improve labour market efficiency by matching skills availability and demand.
One of the most important elements of this project is its potential to inform the development of current education and training programmes and other skill development initiatives, while encouraging proactive fore-sighting of future skill requirements.
Minister Robinson-Regis adds that this future driven approach to skills development in Trinidad and Tobago underscores the Government’s commitment to the goals of the National Development Strategy: Vision 2030, reflected in theme 1, ‘Putting People First, Nurturing our Greatest Asset’, through the goal of ‘Developing a modern, relevant education and training system’. This project also focuses on Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 8, which aim to ‘ensure inclusive, equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ and ’promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’ respectively.