High-skilled emigration has long strained Jamaica’s labour force, but a new report suggests the country is now well-positioned to convert this persistent brain drain into brain gain through strategic, bilateral training initiatives.

The report, “Exploiting the Brain Gain Potential for Better Human Capital Outcomes in Jamaica’, conducted by the World Bank-backed KNOMAD programme, highlights the role of Global Skill Partnerships (GSPs) in reversing the negative effects of talent loss. With an estimated 1.1 million Jamaican-born individuals living overseas — nearly 40 per cent of the population — the economic toll of skilled migration is especially visible in critical sectors such as healthcare, education, and information technology.

“A Global Skill Partnership is a way to try to overcome that [brain drain] in a way to accept that migration is a fact of life but design policy to ensure the benefits are shared by all,” Pablo Acosta, lead economist at the World Bank, said at a recent stakeholder forum hosted by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) at ROK Hotel, downtown Kingston.

A GSP is a bilateral labour migration agreement between an origin country and a destination country. According to the World Bank’s framework, the origin country commits to training individuals in skills that are immediately and concurrently needed both locally and in the destination country. The programme typically includes two tracks: a “home track” where trainees remain in the origin country to strengthen domestic capacity, and an “away track”, where others migrate to take up opportunities abroad.

“If the emigration of high-skilled migrants is better regulated under such programmes, Jamaica can benefit not only from increased remittances but also from a greater number of skilled individuals remaining in the country, strengthening human capital, and gaining access to new knowledge that can support local development,” the report states.

The study reveals that the stock of high-skilled Jamaican emigrants quadrupled from 91,700 in 1980 to more than 400,000 by 2010. Teachers and health professionals account for a significant portion of those leaving, with nearly 5,800 teachers obtaining J-1 visas to the United States in 2022, up from 2,800 in 2017.

The proposed GSP model would see destination countries such as the US, Canada, and the UK co-finance and co-design training programmes in Jamaica. The report suggests that the UK could support the training of nurses, while the US could assist in developing eco-tourism and conservation-related skills. These partner countries would also provide technological and financial support, helping to ensure that the migrating workforce arrives with highly relevant, job-ready skills.

Jamaica already operates bilateral labour agreements for low-skilled work, including the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Programme with Canada and the H-2B visa programme with the US. However, the GSP model aims to extend such partnerships into high-skilled sectors, thereby helping to strengthen Jamaica’s human capital base and drive long-term economic development.

The report puts forward several policy recommendations to complement this approach. Among them is the need to improve data collection on labour market needs, particularly in education and health care. It also urges the Government to design migration policies that attract high-skilled workers, including the introduction of competitive tax incentives and residency pathways.

Another key proposal is the establishment of larger labour market free movement areas across Caricom to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and expand access to regional opportunities.

The report also calls for greater investment in post-secondary education, with curriculum reforms that align with emerging market demands, particularly in digital skills, healthcare, and green technologies.

With interest rates declining and the Government pushing ahead with economic reform, policymakers are being encouraged to modernise the country’s approach to workforce development and migration.

“Brain drain doesn’t have to be a loss; it can be an investment,” the report stated. “But it will require smart policy design, sustainable funding, and collaboration with destination countries.”