A New Direction for T&T’S Education System:

Generation Unlimited partners with T&T on National Manpower Plan

Most of the children who attend primary school now will grow up and get jobs that do not exist yet.

They’ll pioneer robotics designs, create the artificial intelligence that will power the future, experiment with bio-engineering and revolutionise other technology-driven fields of innovation.

How can the education system adapt to prepare its graduates for the careers of the future?

“Students will need more opportunities for hands-on, immersive learning experiences,” said UN Resident Coordinator for Trinidad and Tobago, Marina Walter. “Teachers would need access to more technology to create a culture of innovation—one that embraces advancement. “

The UN’s global initiative, Generation Unlimited, is working to give young people ages 10 to 24 the skills they need to step into the rapidly-evolving world of work over the next decade.

This investment in human capital will create a generation of youngsters who can meet employers’ demands for specialised, technical skills. By linking the expectations of employers to the training that is offered in school, Generation Unlimited can raise productivity, boost economies and ultimately advance progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

Trinidad and Tobago is the first Caribbean country to see the national roll-out of the Generation Unlimited programme through the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which is partnering with the Ministry of Planning and Development to draft a National Manpower Plan.

Generation Unlimited has contributed US $100,000 toward the Manpower Plan, which was launched at the Ministry of Planning and Development in Port-of-Spain on November 25.

The Manpower Plan will forecast the kinds of skills workers will need to meet the country’s development plans for the next decade. Experts drafting the plan will chart a course to give educators the training and curriculum that will equip students for jobs in technology and innovation.  

“More and more so, certainly our experience in the private sector is that…our ability to react to the myriad of rapid changes taking place in our industries, in our countries, in our economies, in our organisations really relies on the agility of our people and for them to be able to be capable of thinking on their own and be courageous enough to take initiative,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of Massy Holdings Limited, Gervase Warner, who spoke at the launch.

Warner is a member of the UN in Trinidad and Tobago’s sustainable business round table.

Trinidad and Tobago’s President, Her Excellency Paula-Mae Weekes, co-chairs Generation Unlimited along with UN Secretary General, António Guterres and President of the Republic of Rwanda, His Excellency Paul Kagame.