The Saint Lucia Coalition of Service Industries (SLCSI), on behalf of the Caribbean Network of Service Coalitions (CNSC), is hosting a sub-regional training programme dubbed “Services Go Global” for OECS coalitions in St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua, St. Vincent and Saint Lucia.
Under the CNSC, independent coalitions within the OECS will be brought under a single umbrella to pursue this export development training for their selected service providers, as well as give them the platform to learn and share information.
The main objectives of the “Services Go Global” training progamme are to assist service firms in improving their competitiveness and achieving success in the global marketplace, promote and increase service exports and develop and increase growth in the services sector.
OECS service providers will undertake a four-day export-readiness competency-based training programme, which will facilitate the following:
• Development of export plans for their businesses;
• Identification of market opportunities through trade and other agreements of which the OECS are part;
• Identification and mitigation of risks in doing business in services sectors;
• Enhancement of competitiveness and penetration of markets, regionally and internationally;
• Fostering of innovation;
• Increased visibility of key business support organizations and the enhancement of their credibility.
The OECS Commission and the Trade Export Promotion Agency (TEPA) will be in attendance to deliver presentations at the opening of this event on Monday, September 26, 2016. This programme will culminate with a ‘Services Networking and Mixer’ to allow business support agencies and OECS service providers within various sub-sectors, including fashion, architects, accounting, spa services, tourism, electrical and maintenance, etc. to network and share information.
The training will be held in Saint Lucia at the Kreole Conference Room of the Coco Palm Hotel from September 26-29, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The training will be delivered by two (2) certified regional trainers from Barbados and Jamaica. It is hoped that at the end of the training, participating service providers would have successfully developed and completed an export plan for their businesses.