Saint Lucia became the epicenter for Caribbean workforce development as regional technical education leaders convened for a groundbreaking two-day Apprenticeship Summit from December 4-5. The gathering, hosted under Canada’s Skills to Access the Green Economy (SAGE) programme at Rodney Bay’s Bay Gardens Hotel, marked a strategic effort to align vocational training with emerging environmental economic opportunities.
Educators, policy architects, and industry representatives from across CARICOM member states collaborated to establish a standardized apprenticeship framework designed to equip workers with sustainable skills. Perry Thomas, Executive Director of Saint Lucia’s TVET Council, highlighted the summit’s critical mission: “We are rationalizing existing regional models to create a harmonized Technical and Vocational Education and Training system through the Caribbean Association of National Training Authorities.”
The summit built upon pilot initiatives already implemented in six nations—Grenada, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Guyana, Belize, and Jamaica—which provided foundational data and implementation models. These programs demonstrated the potential for standardized trades training across diverse Caribbean economies.
Pat Bidart, Senior Technical Advisor for SAGE, emphasized the practical implications: “We’re addressing skills gaps among existing tradespeople—carpenters, mechanics, and other technicians who possess partial knowledge but require comprehensive training. Enhanced skills development will directly improve housing construction, automotive repair, and multiple technical sectors.”
The Canadian-funded initiative represents a coordinated response to both economic and environmental challenges, aiming to create a workforce capable of driving sustainable development throughout the region. Organizers expressed confidence that the summit would ignite the necessary passion and commitment to develop future-ready workers who can advance CARICOM’s green economic transformation.