Minister Hippolyte Presents Saint Lucia’s Green and Blue Skills Jobs Strategy at Labour Workshop

Minister for Labour, Hon. Emma Hippolyte, has presented Saint Lucia’s national approach to training, reskilling and upskilling for green and blue jobs at the Hemispheric Workshop on Just Transition, Green and Blue Jobs in the Americas, held from February 26–27, 2026 in Nassau, The Bahamas.

The high-level forum, convened under the auspices of the Organization of American States through its Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labour (IACML), brought together regional labour leaders to examine workforce preparedness for climate-responsive economies.

In her presentation, Minister Hippolyte emphasized that Saint Lucia’s labour strategy is grounded in skills anticipation, targeted training, equity and inclusion, and regional collaboration, with institutional coordination led by the Department of Labour and the Saint Lucia TVET framework.

“The transition to green and blue economies must be worker-centred. By investing in training, reskilling and up skilling, we are positioning our workforce to access sustainable and decent employment while strengthening national resilience,” the Minister stated.

She highlighted on-going national initiatives aligned with this policy direction, including the SAGE Apprenticeship Programme in green construction and renewable energy, the Renewable Energy Sector Development Scholarship Programme supporting women in STEM, and youth-focused interventions such as climate-smart agriculture training under YASIP.

Minister Hippolyte also noted in her intervention that demand for green and blue skills is growing faster than current training capacity, underscoring the need for expanded financing, enhanced labour market intelligence systems, and stronger public-private partnerships.

Looking ahead, the Minister noted that Saint Lucia is advancing a National Skills Development Strategy, with a dedicated focus on green and blue sectors, alongside strengthened apprenticeship pathways and regional certification collaboration.

Her participation underscored Saint Lucia’s ongoing efforts to modern labour governance, inclusive workforce development, and evidence-based policy planning, as the country prepares its labour force for emerging sustainable industries.