June 27, 2023
The CEO of a regional recruiting firm is hoping to see more jobs in the green and digital economies after the World Bank released a report highlighting these two sectors as key fields where more development could result in more job opportunities.
Caribbean Employment Services Inc. is a market-leading digital talent acquisition service that aims to connect the top talent from the Caribbean with hiring managers, HR professionals and decision-makers in companies both in the Caribbean and abroad.
The organization’s CEO, Joseph Boll, said, “These are undoubtedly two areas that could use more development, and that have lots of potential where jobs, GDP, investment and economic growth are concerned. This is not the first time we’re hearing it, either. We have seen some improvements in these areas, but not to the point where it has produced the scale of positive growth that the sectors could bring if their potential is realized.”
The World Bank, in its regional private sector diagnostic, looked at the economic circumstances and made collective recommendations for 12 Caribbean countries that it said share similar economic and development challenges. It said that both the renewable energy and digital economy sectors could “open major growth opportunities”, but that these countries are still too reliant on fossil fuels and still “falling short of [their] enormous potential” where the digital economy is concerned.
“Renewable energy in particular is an area that has a lot of opportunity for Caribbean countries,” Boll said. “The United States just recently passed the IRA, which will make it easier for companies to invest in green technologies and which is expected to create thousands of jobs in the immediate future. Being so close to the US, and having such a mass of natural resources, puts many Caribbean countries in position to benefit, and especially since there is a labour shortage in the green economy right now.”
He added that as far as digital services go, more support is needed for things like infrastructure, digital literacy and access to affordable, high-quality equipment. However, should these challenges be addressed, the Caribbean could certainly be in a position to benefit tremendously.
“Caribbean Employment Services Inc. hopes to see more jobs coming onstream in these industries in the future, and we stand ready to assist jobseekers and employers connect for mutually beneficial progress in this regard,” said Boll.