SLHCRP has contracted the firm, Dunn, Pierre, Barnett & Company Canada Ltd., (DPBA) which is responsible for collecting information about the current academic offerings of national training institutions and the needs of the Saint Lucia labour market.

“What we’ve seen for example, if you look around and you want to build a house and you have 100 people, one might be a banker, two might be a lawyer…but 95% of people who build houses are steeped in TVET. Without TVET, there is no country. So you must develop TVET,” said Dr. Cleophas Justine Pierre, Director of Business Development and Research of the consulting firm.

Pierre urged parents to encourage their children to enter TVET-related fields if that is their interest.

“What we’re asking, especially the parents, is to guide their children into these types of jobs because they’re professional jobs where income can be generated. Persons who are skilled in TVET-related subjects tend to do better in life.” 

The objectives of the survey are to:

• Assess the Labour Market and obtain data that can be used to increase the relevance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) offerings in Saint Lucia;
• Address issues affecting Saint Lucia such as inadequate employment generation, unemployment, underemployment, skills mismatches and gender imbalance in skills training; and
• Understand the needs of employers in an effort to equip the labour market with the skills necessary to remain relevant and secure job opportunities.