WITH the stock market remaining one of the most accessible avenues for wealth creation, the leaders of the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange (TTSE) and the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) have announced plans to introduce new investor education strategies in the coming years.

The plans to boost investor education was shared during the recent Jamaica Stock Exchanges’s 20th Regional Investment and Capital Markets conference.

“We are leveraging technology; we are leveraging the emerging media, such as influencers, those that have a large follower base, and using those to actually get not just content but the right content within those spaces,” said Chief Executive Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange Limited Eva Mitchell.

While both exchanges share the goal of increasing financial literacy and market participation, they are adopting different approaches to achieving this objective. According to data from the TTSE, young professionals have become a dominant demographic among stock market participants, prompting the exchange to tailor its outreach using technology-driven engagement strategies. Currently, 16 per cent of Trinidad and Tobago’s population holds stocks, a notable increase from 9 per cent a decade ago. A deeper analysis of this growth reveals that it occurred despite the absence of a steady flow of initial public offerings (IPOs) and even in the face of declining overall market activity last year — a positive indicator of increasing investor confidence. Recognising these trends, the TTSE has expanded its collaboration with brokers and other financial stakeholders to enhance investor education. The exchange is embedding itself in digital spaces, such as Telegram and WhatsApp groups, to maintain continuous engagement and provide relevant financial content.

The JSE, on the other hand, has consistently emphasised structured investor education, working through formal training programmes via its e-Campus. However, to sustain and accelerate this growth, Marlene Street Forrest, managing director of the JSE, stresses that investor education must be continuous and start early. As such, the JSE is focusing on the younger generation and ensuring that financial literacy is integrated into education from an early stage.

“In March we are now going into the prep, primary school,” said Street Forest, so the heavy lifting that we would have done over the last 10 years you don’t have to do that anymore because they will also be educating their parents,” said Street Forest.

While investor sessions remain a key part of the strategy, the JSE is looking to expand its outreach beyond occasional workshops by embedding investment education into school curriculums. By taking a proactive and generational approach, the JSE aims to build a more financially savvy population, ensuring sustained stock market participation for years to come. Industry leaders are urging brokers, regulators, and listed companies to play a greater role in investor education to ensure broader financial literacy.Broker-dealers, who are on the front line of investment advice, often focus on selling their own products. To counter this, Street Forrest is calling on regulators to mandate continuous professional education for market participants.

“I would love to see a requirement for ongoing investor education. It is crucial,” she said.

Meanwhile, TTSE CEO Eva Mitchell stressed that listed companies must also engage shareholders effectively, ensuring transparency and better market participation.

“The flow of information is not just the stock exchange or a regulatory; it’s also the responsibility of the listed companies and how well they engage their shareholders,” said Mitchell.

She added that greater confidence in the market could pave the way for more product offerings, ultimately driving deeper investor participation.