Abstract Eleven 2003

GLOBAL

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

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Volume Three Winter 2002-Spring 2003 Numbers 1-2.

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Theme: THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WEST INDIAN COMISSION REPORT: ASSESSING THE

PROGRESS OF CARICOM NATIONS IN IMPLEMENTING THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS

AN ASSESSMENT OF CARIBBEAN SKILLS DEVELOPMENT: DOES IT CONSTITUTE A VIABLE MODEL FOR

A NEW ECONOMY?

Arindam Banik

Department of Economics

University of the West Indies

Cave Hill Campus

St. Michael, Barbados

Published online: February 10, 2017

ABSTRACT

Caribbean economies have the potential to move constantly toward higher skills development as the process of globalization continues to intensify. On close examination, this study reveals many insights on the process of higher skills development in the Caribbean. The study focuses on general and specific measures of skill development, key processes, and key institutional pre-requisites for a high skill environment. It shows that the higher education and skill development strategy of the region lacks any vision. It further examines the institutional aspect of Singapore’s model and then attempts to compare it with the Caribbean economies. It examines the issue of the long-term sustainability of the proposed system and its potential as a model for a new economy.