Summary LABOUR SKILLS ASSESSMENT AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

Executive Summary Introduction and Setting the Context for the Assignment The current skill needs assessment must be seen against the country’s National Development Strategy, , under which the national human resources are viewed as having a key role in realizing the goals of the vision. The government has identified ICT Platforms and Services, as one of the priority sectors for supporting growth and supporting employment, all of which are vital for maintaining and raising living standards across Trinidad and Tobago. Currently the National Manpower System in Trinidad and Tobago is unable to accurately identify current or future skill needs. As a consequence, policy makers have little understanding about what skills need to be developed to meet future manpower requirements. There are several reasons for this situation, most significant of which is the lack of accurate labour market information on priority sectors, such as ICT Platforms and Services. Without accurate labour market data, managers are unable to undertake accurate planning, coordinate stakeholders, and facilitate the matching of supply and demand. The GORTT’s mandate is also to transform the country into a digital economy by 2030, which is a cross cutting issue that is deeply intertwined with the development of the ICT Platforms and Services sector. This transformation requires the strong support of the ICT sector for its implementation across multiple public administration service areas and private sector functions. Against this above background, the Government of Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT), through the MoPD and with funding from UNICEF, has commissioned an assessment to identify priority skill areas that are in demand in the priority sector of ICT platform services. The results of this assessment provide the basis for identifying the nature and extent of demand for priority occupational areas and correspondingly to determine the extent to which supply is responding. In addition, the assessment helped understand the demand for cross cutting skills, especially those associated