AS part of efforts to combat the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the region, CARICOM, on Wednesday, launched its Digital Skills Task Force initiative to boost the way persons in the Caribbean utilise innovative technology in everyday life.

Since the start of the pandemic, countries across the globe have seen a significant shift in their daily operations. With schools and work in many sectors now being done online, many persons are struggling to come to terms with this change.

CARICOM General-Secretary, Dr. Carla Barnett, in her remarks at the virtual launch, noted that the Task Force has been established to provide an opportunity for the region to deliver a more “collaborative, coordinated and innovative” approach to meeting the digital skills challenge. She said that, because of the pandemic, digital skills now play a more pivotal role in everyday life.

She disclosed that the CARICOM Secretariat will embark, in 2022, on an ICT sector gap analysis across the whole of CARICOM. The gap analysis will support the recovery efforts of the region through the identification and quantification of critical parts of the digital infrastructure, and help to fast-track digital transformation.

The initiative is being funded under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF).
“Technology is quickly transforming the way we live and work. Most transactions are digital, information is immediate. As you may be aware, the need for digital skills has also come to the ‘forefront’ due to the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The regional digital footprint has increased tremendously over the past year, with citizens doing what they can to adapt to the new normal way of living,” said Dr. Barnett.

She highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed many states insight into the existing inequality of access to technology, revealing the weaknesses and unpreparedness for a shift in the education sector to virtual learning during the mass school closures across the globe.
Barnett added that the pandemic further exacerbated the mismatch between income and education, training and job prospects.

At the Global Education Meeting (GEM) convened by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in October 2020, governments and the international community identified five priorities for urgent action, including support to teachers as frontline workers, scaling up of digital skills and narrowing the digital divide.

She emphasised the importance of making it inclusive and accessible so as to promote learning and skills delivery in different environments.
“Strong collaboration is needed between the public, private and civic society sectors, to promote learning and skills delivery in different environments, and make it accessible and inclusive to all.

The private sector is well-positioned to help meet and expand this increasingly urgent, and unmet need and demand. At the government level, this will also mean developing comprehensive education, social welfare, and economic policies,” the SG said.

She noted that addressing digital inclusion and proliferating digital skills across CARICOM in a comprehensive, strategic manner will add another important layer to being “A Community for All”, as it will help to ensure that all CARICOM citizens have the necessary skills and can participate meaningfully in society.

Dr. Barnett reminded that digital skills for CARICOM citizens were already envisioned when the CARICOM Single ICT Space and the Human Resource Development Strategy 2030 were crafted in 2014 and 2017 respectively

“The primary objective of the CARICOM Digital Skills Task Force is to promote awareness of the importance of digital skills for students, business and governments. It is also to provide technical guidance on the development of digital skills and capability levels across CARICOM. The work of the Task Force will therefore be complementary to many other important regional actions,” she added.