Every Caribbean graduate could soon get a pathway to work across the region under new youth proposal

Against the backdrop of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, a proposal that could reshape opportunities for thousands of Caribbean graduates emerged during Monday’s regional Youth Forum, with youth leaders calling for every university graduate to be automatically prepared to work and do business anywhere across the Community.

The virtual forum, jointly hosted by the Government of Saint Lucia and the CARICOM Secretariat under the theme Youth Solutions for the Future, brought together youth ambassadors, advocates and stakeholders from across the region to ensure young people’s priorities form part of discussions at the highest level of regional leadership.

Among the standout recommendations was a proposal from former Trinidad and Tobago CARICOM Youth Ambassador Luke James Trim, who urged leaders to fully unlock the potential of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) by creating a regional graduate mobility pathway.

Trim proposed that every student completing a tertiary education programme across the Caribbean should automatically be enrolled in a system that prepares them to take advantage of opportunities throughout the region.

Under the proposal, graduates would receive guidance on how the CSME operates, assistance in applying for CARICOM Skills Certificates, and access to a regional digital platform connecting them with employment opportunities, entrepreneurship support and emerging industries across member states.

He also suggested the platform could highlight major regional events, including the Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival and CARIFESTA, allowing young entrepreneurs and creatives to identify new business and networking opportunities.

Trim argued that greater movement of skilled young people across CARICOM should no longer be viewed through the traditional lens of “brain drain.”

“When people hear someone’s going to work somewhere else in another member state, they diminish it down to brain drain, but I don’t view it as brain drain,” he said.

The recommendations developed during the multi-hour forum will now be presented to regional Heads of Government before the conclusion of the CARICOM summit on Wednesday, where leaders will determine how youth-driven proposals can be incorporated into the region’s future agenda.

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