Tobago youths advised: Stiff competition coming with CSME

Tobago’s youths have been advised to prepare for “stiff competition” when the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) comes on stream. This warning was sounded by the youthful THA Assistant Secretary for Sports and Youth Affairs, Tracey Davidson, as she addressed her peers at a seminar entitled “Impact Opportunities of CSME for Youths” at the Fairfield Complex last Thursday. The island’s young people, ages 17-20 years old, were introduced to the “wonderful world of CSME” during the now concluded National Youth Week celebrations.

The event, aptly titled “Youth Empower Self; Say Yes,” consisted of several activities including a concert and thanksgiving service, an exposition featuring the various youth organisations on the island and a youth service day where the groups were involved in rendering their services in communities islandwide. The highlight, however, was the CSME seminar which included a question and answer session, and was launched by Ambassador Jerry Narace of the CSME Unit of Trinidad and Tobago.

Davidson said that free movement of skills was one of the key pillars of the CSME as, in effect, the CSME Treaty abolishes all discrimination on the grounds of nationality in all member states. “It means that professionals have the right to move freely within the Caricom Single Market and Economy if they are university graduates, athletes, musicians, artists or entrepeneurs. Thus the number of opportunities available to us as youths, will be increased fourfold.

However it does not stop there, in that though you will be faced with increasing opportunities, there will be a situation where competition for those prospects will be intense,” she stressed as she sought to impress upon them the need to prepare themselves. She also said that CSME was originally set for January 2005 but was set back to April for Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados, and 2006 for the rest of Caricom. “This means that time is upon us and that you must be prepared to embrace the ideals of CSME because definitely this is a situation that, should you fail to prepare, then the saying will hold very true, prepare to fail.