Career Information(General Information)

The resident population of Barbados stands atapproximately 265,000. About 40 percent of the population lives in the Bridgetown and Greater Bridgetown area. The average population growth rate remains one of the lowest in the Latin America and Caribbean area.The latest rate released by the Barbados Statistical Service, is that for 1996. For that year, population growth stood at approximately 0.1 percent. This rate is comparable to those recorded in some industrialised countries.

Demographic trends show that Barbados is gravitating towards an aging population. This is occurring as birth rates in recent years continue to show slow growth when compared to previous years. If this trend continues for another three years, Government may have to gear itself to confront certain socio-economic pressures that will emanate from the labour market. These will be in the areas of low labour productivity, labour shortages in certain occupations,and pressures that will be brought tobear upon the social services, especially with respect to National Insurance Pension Schemes.

The overall life expectancy rate at birth is estimated to be about 75.3 years. The rate for men is about 72.9 years and that for women is approximately 77.4 years.

The rate of outward migration is continuing to fall over time. This trend may be partly attributed to the continuous development of the social and economic infrastructure of the country and also to the creation of a local environment, characterised by increasing economic opportunities for persons falling within the working age population, sixteen years old and over. It may also be attributed to the restrictive immigration laws implemented by countries which were once traditional destinations for numerous persons migrating in search of employment.These destinations include the United States of America and the United Kingdom. The annual net migration rate between 1985 and 1997 was estimated to be below 800.

Education and Training

The existing educational system provides for a trainable labour force. The literacy rate of the adult population stands at about 97 percent. Nearly 100 percent of the adult population, falling between the ages of 16 years and 65 years have been educated to at least the primary level. More than 80 percent of the labour force have been exposed to some form of secondary education.

A growing number of private sector and public sector educational institutions continue to offer a variety of adult education/training programmes as a means of human resource development. These programmes target adults who did not complete the secondary education requirements on entry to the labour market and those who are engaging on a training or retraining exercise.

The programmes offered by these institutions include the academic secondary level education, offering courses that lead to the acquisition of certificates at the CXC level and other equivalent qualifications offered by approved overseas examination bodies.Other courses offered are technical in nature. These are designed to offer general training in specific technical fields or tailored training modules requested by employers of specialist enterprises.

An increasing number of post-teen adults in Barbados have been registering with these institutions over the past three years. This trend may very well be an indicator that the emerging labour market is setting a minimum standard for labour and is demanding the nurturing of a developed and sophisticated labour force where mediocrity does not exist.

In 1980, the Barbados Government set up a National Training Board (now called the Barbados Vocational Training Board), with a mandate to ensure an adequate supply of trained manpower in occupations in all branches of economic activity in Barbados.

The Board has been engaged in a number of vocational training programmes, since its inception. These programmes include:

The skills training programmes are conducted within a classroom type environment while the apprenticeship system is more of an on-the-job training programme. In the apprenticeship programme, employers are directly involved in the delivery of training and training takes place in the employer�s workshop. Under this scheme, the employer ensures that training is relevant to current needs and the apprentice gains the necessary work experience.

Another agency which Government has established to ensure an adequate supply of technical and vocational training for industry, is the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Council (TVET). This agency was established under an Act in 1993 and is the Governmental agency charged with the responsibility for advising on national policy on TVET matters, developing national plans for TVET and for coordinating and facilitating the implementation ofthose plans. The main function of the council is to ensure the efficient, effective and productive allocation of resources for TVET through its collaboration with private sector organisations and the management of an Employment and Training Fund (ETF).

The resources of this fund are earmarked for the promotion and support of training which focus on the upgrading of skills in the labour force, in accordance with national priority, economic and social needs.

Stability in the political and economic environment continues to attract private sector investment from foreign and domestic sources. This is creating favourable conditions for employment growth, especially in the area of construction.