The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is encouraging Caribbean nations to undertake a extra strategic and coordinated strategy to high-skilled migration, viewing it as each a problem and a chance for sustainable improvement.
The decision was made by Director Normal, Dr. Wayne Henry, in a speech delivered by PIOJ Director of Social Coverage, Planning and Analysis, Easton Williams, throughout the latest World Financial institution/PIOJ Excessive-Expert Migration within the Caribbean Discussion board on the ROK Lodge in downtown Kingston.
Dr. Henry famous that the Caribbean has traditionally confronted excessive ranges of migration amongst tertiary-trained professionals, with many selecting to relocate to the USA of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK) and Canada.
He identified that migration from the English-speaking Caribbean to those international locations, “has mirrored the best percentages in contrast with every other area globally”,
Referencing latest findings from a World Financial institution multi-country research, Dr. Henry famous that between 60 and greater than 80 per cent of tertiary-level skilled people from the English-speaking Caribbean presently reside in Group for Financial Cooperation and Improvement (OECD) international locations.
The Director Normal, in acknowledging the lack of expertise, underscored the significance of crafting insurance policies that rework this development into a chance for improvement.
“The normal approaches that the area has typically applied to retain its high-skilled human sources have actually failed to supply the supposed outcomes. The main problem for us immediately, is how you can design insurance policies and programmatic responses to make migration, high-skilled migration specifically, work for the sustainable improvement of all our international locations,” he stated.
Dr. Henry additionally highlighted the urgent demographic challenges confronting the area, reminiscent of inhabitants decline and the fast ageing of its inhabitants.
He famous that the Caribbean is presently the quickest ageing area globally, with most international locations experiencing fertility charges beneath the extent wanted to maintain inhabitants substitute.
Moreover, the Director Normal warned that the mixture of declining working-age populations and protracted emigration might hinder financial progress and pressure social help methods.
Dr. Henry cautioned that the twin challenges of a shrinking working-age inhabitants and ongoing emigration might impede financial progress and place elevated stress on social help methods.
“Let me emphasise that the challenges are higher now than at every other level in our historical past. Our faculty-age and our working-age inhabitants are declining in all our international locations. The aged age group, 60 years and over, is the quickest rising phase of our inhabitants, so compounding our challenges to supply a sustainable social safety system,” he stated.
The discussion board served as a platform to launch and focus on the findings of the World Financial institution’s complete research on high-skilled migration within the Caribbean.
Dr. Henry inspired the contributors to make use of the chance to reimagine migration insurance policies in a way that fosters regional resilience and drives innovation.
“The coverage choices and programmatic initiatives we advocate in our deliberations… and implement, going ahead, could function a turning level for guaranteeing the sustainable improvement of our area,” he underscored.
