The Future of Work in the Caribbean: Why We Can’t Wait Any Longer
As someone who spends my time working with young Trinbagonians trying to navigate an increasingly complex job market, I can tell you that the statistics in the World Economic Forum’s latest Future of Jobs Report aren’t just numbers on a page – they’re the lived reality of an entire generation.
The global workforce is about to experience its most dramatic transformation in decades. According to the WEF’s 2025 report, 22% of all jobs worldwide will be either created or destroyed by 2030 due to technological change, economic uncertainty, demographic shifts, and climate transitions. While this represents massive opportunity – with 170 million new jobs expected globally – it also poses an existential question for Caribbean developing economies like ours: Will we be part of this transformation, or will we be left behind?
The Caribbean's Starting Point: Already Behind
Let’s be honest about where we stand. The numbers from recent Inter-American Development Bank research paint a sobering picture of our economic reality:
- Caribbean nations have experienced stagnant economic growth, averaging only 2.1% annually from 2001 to 2019, compared to 3.7% for other small economies globally
- The COVID-19 pandemic hit us particularly hard, with tourism-dependent economies seeing a 4% decrease in real GDP per capita by 2022
- Our informal sector constitutes 30-40% of the labor market, making it difficult to even accurately measure unemployment
- Most critically, we face high net emigration rates of skilled individuals, creating a brain drain that compounds our human capital challenges
This isn’t just about numbers – it’s about the young person I met last week who has a computer science degree but can’t get an interview because they don’t know how to showcase their skills in a digital-first job market. It’s about the talented graduate who’s considering emigration because they can’t see a future here.
The Global Skills Revolution: What's Coming
While we’ve been struggling with these foundational challenges, the rest of the world is racing toward a fundamentally different economy. The WEF report reveals that broadening digital access is expected to be the most transformative trend globally, with 60% of employers expecting it to transform their business by 2030.
Here’s what’s driving this transformation:
Technology as the Primary Disruptor:
- 86% of employers expect AI and information processing to be transformative
- 58% anticipate robotics and automation will reshape their operations
- AI and big data top the list of fastest-growing skills globally
The Skills That Will Matter:
- Analytical thinking remains the most sought-after core skill among employers worldwide
- Resilience, flexibility, and agility follow closely behind
- Creative thinking, curiosity, and lifelong learning are rising rapidly in importance
The Scale of Change: The report’s most striking finding: if the world’s workforce was made up of 100 people, 59 would need training by 2030. This isn’t gradual change – this is workforce revolution.
Our Caribbean Reality Check
Now, let’s overlay this global transformation onto our Caribbean context. The IADB research reveals a widespread perception of an inadequately educated workforce as a major obstacle for firms in our region, indicating a severe mismatch between available skills and market needs.
This skills gap isn’t just about technical training – it’s systemic. Our education systems, already struggling to keep pace with basic workforce needs, are now facing a future where 39% of existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated in just five years.
Consider this: while the WEF reports that technology-related roles like Big Data Specialists, AI and Machine Learning Specialists, and Software Developers are the fastest-growing jobs globally, how many of our young people even know these career paths exist, let alone have access to the training needed to pursue them?
Meanwhile, clerical and secretarial workers – including cashiers, data entry clerks, and administrative assistants – are expected to see the largest declines. These are precisely the entry-level roles that many of our graduates have traditionally relied upon.
The Opportunity Hidden in the Crisis
But here’s what keeps me motivated despite these sobering statistics: the same forces that threaten to leave us behind also create unprecedented opportunities for those who are prepared.
The WEF report shows that frontline roles including construction workers, salespersons, and care economy jobs like nursing professionals are also growing significantly. Our tourism and service sectors, when rebuilt with digital integration, could capture new markets. Our geographic position and English-speaking advantage could make us competitive in remote work and digital services.
Most importantly, 50% of global employers plan to re-orient their business in response to AI, and two-thirds plan to hire talent with specific AI skills. This means the jobs are coming – the question is whether our young people will be ready for them.
Why Traditional Approaches Won't Work
Regional research emphasises the need for policies that enhance the investment climate, improve human capital quality, and support innovation. These are crucial long-term strategies. But here’s what I’ve learned from working directly with job seekers: we can’t wait for systems to change.
While we advocate for policy reform, individual young people are graduating today into a job market that has already transformed. They need skills now. They need to understand how AI is changing hiring processes now. They need to know how to position themselves for roles that didn’t exist five years ago – now.
This is why Bridge the Gap focuses on immediate, practical intervention. We can’t restructure the entire education system overnight, but we can ensure that the talented young person graduating this year knows:
- How to write a resume that passes through AI screening systems
- How to present themselves confidently in virtual interviews
- Which digital tools and platforms are becoming workplace essentials
- How to identify and prepare for emerging role opportunities in their field
The Time is Now
The statistics are clear: the next five years will determine whether Caribbean developing economies participate in the global economic transformation or get left further behind. While we work on systemic solutions – better education policy, improved infrastructure, enhanced investment climate – we cannot forget the young people who need opportunity today.
Every young Caribbean professional who develops future-ready skills becomes a building block for our region’s economic competitiveness. Every success story becomes proof that Caribbean talent can compete globally. Every person who stays and thrives here instead of emigrating becomes part of our solution to the brain drain challenge.
The future of work isn’t just coming to the Caribbean – it’s here. The question isn’t whether change will happen, but whether we’ll be ready for it.
At Bridge the Gap, we believe we will be. One free lecture, one success story, one transformed career at a time.
Because when our young people succeed, our entire region succeeds. And that’s a future worth working for.
References
- Beuermann, D., Dohnert, S., Mooney, H., & Sierra, R. (2024). Are we there yet? The Path Towards Sustained Economic Growth in the Caribbean. https://doi.org/10.18235/0013218
- Reyes-Tagle, G., Ruprah, I. J., & Baca Campodónico, J. F. (2024). Not Just Taxes: Revenue, Economic Growth and Inequality in the Caribbean. https://doi.org/10.18235/0013350
World Economic Forum. (2025). The Future of Jobs Report 2025. Geneva: World Economic Forum.