From T&T Guardian

BRIDGETOWN—The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) has partnered with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to support development of the Services Go Global programme—an instructor-led, competency based export training programme for service providers managed by the Caribbean Network of Service Coalitions (C-NSC).

Introduced for the first time to 30 pre-qualified regional trainers and representatives from national coalitions of service industries (CSIs) in Barbados last month, the trainers were able to review the programme and discuss its implementation across the region to assist Caribbean service provider firms to improve their competitiveness and achieve success in the global marketplace.

The advent of globalisation and technology has made it possible for small service providers across all services sectors to export their services. This includes the region’s priority sectors of: business and professional services, health and wellness, creative industries and information and communication technology, among others.

“Services play a crucial role in the development of the economies in Cariforum, not just as a sector but also due to the significant impact on other sectors such as the manufacturing sector.

“Caribbean Export is deeply committed to the development of the region’s services sector and it is hoped that firms large and small capitalise upon this opportunity to build their capacity to take advantage of the Cariforum-EU EPA and better integrate into the global economy,” said Allyson Francis, services specialist at Caribbean Export.

The programme was developed and delivered by Global Links Network, a team of certified international trade professionals who have delivered services training in over 50 countries worldwide over the past 20 years. To date, Services Go Global is the only export readiness training programme for services exporters and would-be exporters in the world. The programme follows a logical, sequenced approach to exporting—a roadmap—that takes the exporters through four stages and 12 modules of export preparation. With the completion of each module, elements of the service provider’s export plan are developed. Service providers who undertake the course will come away having completed the essential elements of their export plan and will have gained the valuable skills necessary to successfully engage in the international marketplace.

The Services Go Global programme will be made available to the private sector and interested persons through authorised trainers on behalf of national CSIs and will be launched in early 2015 across the Caribbean; including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and T&T. (CMC)

IMAGE: Members of the Go Global team. Photo courtesy www.caribdirect.com

For more on this story go to: http://www.guardian.co.tt/business/2014-10-22/caribbean-export-helps-strengthen-services-sector