Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter

HEART TRUST/ The National Training Agency (NTA) has now trained and certified more than half the number of people it is targeting ahead of the 2008 implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

According to the agency, of the 600,000 people being targeted, it has so far trained more than 300,000 in the Jamaican workforce.

Outgoing executive director of HEART Trust/NTA, Robert Gregory, says the trainees have been certified in the agency's 120 occupational standards.

"The workforce is 1.1 million; we want 600,000 persons certified," said Mr. Gregory. "And we are looking to achieve that by the end of 2008/2009."

He says the aim is to make the region attractive for investments, which will create jobs requiring trained and educated people.

"We want to really create a situation where our human capital, our educated, trained, qualified persons are essential attractions - to create the jobs that pay the big money."

At the same time, he said he was still concerned about the brain drain in the region.

According to Mr. Gregory, qualified Caribbean people often leave the region to seek opportunities which will utilise their skills and provide the kind of money they aspire to earn.

Mr. Gregory also said it was time that the region provided the opportunities for its bright and educated workforce.

"We want that to happen right here, just like it happened in Ireland. And the work we are doing is ultimately toward that end."

The CSME is the region's response to the evolving international environment in areas such as trade liberalisation and globalisation.

The CSME is essentially conceived as the creation of a single economic space where goods and services, along with the factors of production, will be able to move freely. This will be supported by appropriate institutions and other related measures.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com