Preparing Trinidad and Tobago for future of work

THE EDITOR:

The Future of Jobs Report 2025, released last week by the World Economic Forum, reveals a rapidly changing global labour market driven by technological advancements, demographic shifts, and the green transition.

For a small, developing economy like Trinidad and Tobago, these shifts present both opportunities and challenges. Preparing the workforce to adapt will require a comprehensive approach, particularly in the areas of education, training, and reskilling.

The report underscores the growing demand for skills in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, renewable energy, and digital literacy. Unfortunately, TT’s education system remains heavily traditional, with limited focus on the technical and creative skills required for these emerging industries.

Reforming the educational system is imperative to ensure that the nation’s workforce is equipped for the future.

Primary and secondary schools should incorporate coding, robotics, and environmental science into their curricula to build foundational knowledge.

Tertiary institutions must align their programmes with market needs through stronger partnerships with industries, prioritising fields like artificial intelligence, green technology, and big data.

Additionally, the concept of lifelong learning should be embraced, with government incentives for online learning platforms and certification programmes to enable ongoing education, particularly in underserved communities.

Achieving these goals will demand significant investments in infrastructure, teacher training, and broadband connectivity, especially in rural areas.

A well-educated and skilled population will allow TT to capitalise on global trends while reducing its dependency on fossil fuels.

This approach could help the country establish expertise in renewable energy and digital services, creating new economic opportunities.

The report also predicts that 39 per cent of today’s skill sets will become obsolete by 2030. In TT, this could disproportionately affect administrative workers, clerical staff, and low-skilled labourers, leading to widespread job displacement and economic instability.

Retraining must become a national priority. Workers in declining fields, such as clerical roles, should be transitioned into roles like project co-ordination or data analysis.

Similarly, individuals in the oil and gas industry could be reskilled for positions in renewable energy, such as solar panel installation or environmental engineering.

Short-term courses, facilitated through public-private partnerships, can quickly prepare workers for roles in high-demand areas.

Community centres across the country could also be converted into learning hubs equipped with digital tools for skill-building programmes, ensuring access to training opportunities.

Trade unions must play a proactive role in this workforce transformation. Traditionally focused on wages and working conditions, unions must now expand their scope to advocate for worker reskilling and retraining.

Collective agreements should include provisions for employer-funded training programmes, while unions work collaboratively with industries, educational institutions, and the government to identify emerging job opportunities.

As automation reshapes the labour market, unions can push for policies that promote human-machine collaboration over outright job displacement.

To remain relevant, unions must also invest in leadership training to better understand labour market trends and emerging technologies.

Parliament has a critical role to play in preparing the country for these transformative changes. Forward-looking legislation must be enacted to support lifelong learning and workforce adaptability.

Laws requiring companies to allocate a percentage of their revenue to employee reskilling should be introduced, with tax incentives to encourage compliance.

The government must foster collaboration between the private sector, educational institutions, and civil society to create training programmes tailored to industry needs.

The Universal Telecommunications Fund should be expanded to finance reskilling initiatives, particularly for marginalised groups.

Parliament should also pass laws promoting renewable energy adoption, creating incentives for green job creation, and establishing a national labour observatory.

This observatory would analyse employment trends and skill gaps, providing critical data to guide policymaking.

Public engagement is equally important. Awareness campaigns should emphasise the importance of adaptability and lifelong learning, encouraging citizens to embrace creativity, resilience, and flexibility.

The job market of the future will reward those who can quickly adapt to new challenges and opportunities.

The transformation of global labour markets is both inevitable and imminent. TT cannot afford to remain reactive to these changes.

By prioritising education reform, fostering collaboration with trade unions, and enacting forward-thinking legislation, the country can position its workforce to thrive in a rapidly evolving global economy.

Failing to act now risks further economic stagnation, but bold and decisive steps will secure a prosperous future for generations to come.

RUSHTON PARAY

MP, MAYARO

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