Skills, education and training are essential to making people employable, gaining access to decent work, and to staying out of poverty. In today’s global and competitive world, business and industries must continue to improve the quality of their products and services in order to stay competitive. Employers are demanding that workers for the 21^st century must possess the technical, and in addition, “soft” and “hard” skills to function effectively and be competitive in the workplace. To attain this level of competitiveness, workers must be lifelong learners who will continue to increase their knowledge and update their skills, for upward mobility in the workplace.

Skills development and employability are priorities for our region. Therefore, access to education, training and skills development should be made available to all citizens of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). To this end, training agencies and educational institutions must use available delivery methodologies, including the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to reach all its citizens, with special priority given to the disabled persons. The International Labour Organization's work in this region continues to focus on building the capacities of the national training agencies, and technical and vocational training institutions, through technical advice and support on curriculum review; programme evaluation, competency-based training, use of ICT for delivery of education and training; skills development policies in line with the ILO Decent Work Agenda, and the CARICOM Regional Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

In the recent past, the ILO Decent  Work Team and Office for the Caribbean has provided technical advice, training, and workshops to educational institutions, training agencies and other constituents in the region. These have included:

• the Regional Training Workshop for TVET and training practitioners on applying Information and Communication Technology for training;
 

• support for the launch of the Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies;
 

• the Tripartite Training of Trainers Workshop on Assisting People with Disabilities in Finding Employment;
 

• the promotion and protection of rights of people with disabilities;
 

• the publishing of two guides "Assisting disabled persons in finding employment - A Practical Guide" and "Placement of Job-seekers with disabilities - Elements of an Effective Service" to strengthen placement services and improve opportunities for job seekers with disabilities throughout the Caribbean region. As a companion to the guides, a video "Ability Caribbean" was also produced;
 

• facilitating the development of the Inter-American Centre for knowledge Development in Vocational Training (CINTERFOR) English language website;
 

• technical workshop on Strengthening National Vocational Training Policies;
 

• workshop on Integrating Community-Based Training; and provision of technical advisory services in the development of national training policies and strengthening of the TVET training systems.