Programme launched to boost CSME awareness among Caribbean youths

Given the fact that many Caribbean youths remain unaware of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) and its benefits to their lives, due to several issues, including the fact that the CSME is not adequately incorporated into educational curricula and limited engagement and interest from youths, stakeholders across Caricom have launched the Caricom Young Professionals Programme (CYPP).
This initiative aims to address these barriers and better equip the region’s youth to take advantage of the opportunities presented by regional integration.
According to a recent press release from the CARICOM Secretariat, Programme Manager for Youth Development at the Caricom Secretariat Michele Small-Bartley highlighted that the CARICOM’s CYPP has the potential to bridge gaps and create renewed interest in CSME among youths. She affirms that the CSME is a critical vehicle to drive economic growth and foster regional cooperation in the Caribbean.
“We must prioritise educational reform, targeted outreach, youth engagement, and skills development to bridge the gap in awareness and empower young people to actively participate in and benefit from the CSME’s opportunities,” she stated.

The CYPP is a four-month programme which aims to build the capacity of Caricom nationals aged 24 to 35 years by providing them with the relevant knowledge and skills to promote the implementation of the CSME regime. It will also focus on helping young people better understand and navigate the complexities of the CSME through comprehensive training, workshops, and educational resources using an experiential approach to enhance their knowledge, skills, and competencies.
Through this process, young professionals will be empowered to advocate for their interests and priorities within the CSME framework, thus ensuring their voices are heard in policy discussions and decision-making processes at the national and regional levels.
The initiative will facilitate platforms, forums, and networking events where young professionals can connect, collaborate, and exchange ideas with peers, mentors, policymakers, and business leaders across the Caribbean region. It also seeks to establish a CARICOM Young Professional Network, fostering a sense of community and advocating for greater youth involvement in the decision-making process related to the implementation of the CSME regime.

Notably Small-Bartley is also advocating for prioritising educational reform, targeted outreach, youth involvement, and skills development so stakeholders can bridge the gap in awareness and empower young people to actively participate in and benefit from the CSME’s opportunities. “The vision of a prosperous and integrated Caribbean region can only be realised through collective effort,” stated Small-Bartley.
Meanwhile, recognising the important role youths play in society, CSME Director, Leo Preville highlighted that youths will play a crucial role in the development of the CSME. The director championed the integral role of youths in the CSME during the launch of the Caricom Youth Ambassadors-CSME Attachment Programme at the Caricom Secretariat Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana. Where he noted that the CSME is working towards building a region that is focused on development. On this point the director explained that the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors are key stakeholders in the region’s development.
He further noted that the demographic of the region consists of a fairly young population. In this regard Preville underscored that the ambassadors will be used to educate and speak with youths in the Caribbean in a language that they can identify with.