The types of skills and education needed for a new industrial strategy in Barbados

"Our aim for the twenty-first century should be to create an intelligent human intellectual capital resource base for Barbados which can compete with brainpower industries anywhere in the world. The Prime Minister intends for Barbados to become the most competitive economy in CARICOM, envisaging that for this to become a reality, industry and international business must play the pivotal role. He hopes that the Caribbean ""will grasp the initiative and become robust and successful in economies in the decades ahead."" The Government of Barbados is already committed to maintain an environment that is conducive to sustained investment. Evidence of this is seen in its anti-inflationary monetary policies, realistic and stable exchange rates, the elimination of non-tariff barriers to trade, adequate and reliable utilities and a stable political environment. To complete this package it is necessary to have a well-educated workforce, which possess the skills that are required by the multinational firms seeking to set up investments in Barbados. Based on Barbados' prospects for future employment, our educational system should comprise in the simplest of terms, training systems to teach marketable skills and nurture technological progress. These technologies are also important in enabling Barbados to become attractive to foreign investors."