This is the second of a two-part series. Part 1 was published on September 9, 2026.

The keynote speaker at the sixth Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)/Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) Empower forum on September 7 was Senator Aubyn Hill, minister of industry, investment and commerce. In a wide-ranging speech, Minister Hill first acknowledged the IDB as “easily one of the most dedicated supporters and benefactors of Jamaica over a very long period of time. When the financial markets crashed in 2007/2008, and when nobody would talk to us, the IDB did, and supported us. The IDB has always supported us”.

Outlining his key theme as building bridges for success by “leveraging logistics, digital transformation, and talent to strengthen” Jamaica’s competitive resilience, and noting countries are complex to run, Hill observed Jamaica had spent a decade restoring economic stability and public finances as well as rebuilding confidence under the disciplined Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, who he described as an “unflappable, strategic thinker”.

His stronger bridges included education to employment; efficiency driving a reduced cost of energy; and a fairer, more equitable, and clearer bridge between employers and employees.

Focusing on the bridge from education to employment, Hill argued businesses must identify the skills they need, and training institutions must respond. Students and apprentices must gain knowledge and experience leading to employment and entrepreneurship, as well as measurable and positive economic performance, while businesses will need to invest more in training their own employees.

Hill also praised Dr Holness for the expanded apprenticeship programme in the last budget, noting that after the Second World War, Germany wasn’t rebuilt by PhDs and lawyers, but by apprentices at BMW and Mercedes.

He reiterated the plan for Jamaica to be the fourth node of the global logistics hub — after Singapore, Dubai, and Rotterdam — while noting Jamaica’s special economic zone has 114 operating companies, although business process outsourcing (BPO) employment had fallen to 45,000 people due to competition from cheaper destinations like the Philippines and India.

He, however, highlighted the growth in knowledge process outsourcing (KPO), noting that KPMG started with 15 people 10 years ago under the leadership of Tarun Handa, and now had 938 people in Jamaica working for its offices in Chicago, Colorado, and elsewhere, while PwC said it has grown to 250 people in only 12 months. He also noted the law changed to allow segregated accounts as part of the overall Jamaica International Financial Services Authority (JISFA) initiative, and advised that partnership legislation would be finalised next.

Highlighting the roles of past Jamaica Promotions Corporation (Jampro) presidents Pat Francis and Diane Edwards as well as current President Shulette Cox (who were all in the room), Minister Hill said the Government is looking to add another 200 acres to the 50 acres from the Port Authority to ultimately create the best Caribbean “logistics” location.

The last panel of the day, on ‘Future-Ready Talent: Building Jamaica’s Workforce for the Digital Logistics Economy’, was moderated by IDB researcher/economist Dulce Baptista. She started by asking her boss — Pablo Ibarrarán, the IDB’s division chief of social protection and labour markets — which tasks will be automated by artificial intelligence (AI).

On the panel, and in a subsequent e-mail, Ibarraran argued AI will change tasks “very fast” rather than simply eliminate jobs. His fellow panellist, Professor Ibrahim Ajagunna, deputy to the president of the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), agreed succinctly that “tasks will disappear”. Their conclusion was that Jamaica needs continuous employer-connected reskilling, flexible and work-based training, portable credentials, and transition support. The logistics sector will see some routine tasks automated, but others will be augmented. Ajagunna further noted that in Colon in Columbia, with technology, the port can now operate 24 hours, which has created more jobs.

Ibarrarán also observed — strongly supported by HEART/NSTA Trust Managing Director Taneisha Ingleton in her presentation — that sector skills councils can help keep training aligned with employers’ changing needs. Ingleton emphasised her co-creation approach; meaning, employers should “no longer come in at the back end”.

The planned councils for logistics, manufacturing, and construction should validate occupational profiles and competency standards, guide curriculum updates, and monitor employment outcomes while ensuring common skills and credentials remain portable across sectors. Ingleton advised she had implemented different tracks for qualifications in logistics, depending on whether they were “fresh” to the industry, had experience, or were an “analytical” manager. Apprenticeship training is no longer “just watch me” but problem-solving.

PSOJ Vice-President Mariame Mcintosh Robinson emphasised the need for soft skills in the new digital world and the role of forward planning for future skill needs. For her part, Mona School of Business and Management’s Diane Edwards highlighted the possible role of a digital skills accelerator for logistics and how The University of the West Indies, CMU, and other universities are offering stackable micro-credentialed courses allowing employers to invest in upskilling their employees and building career pathways, while noting the need to increase opportunities to work on real-life problems as this will improve job-readiness.

Finally, Ibarrarán argued that IDB support could have a catalytic role in helping to support the relevant stakeholders to build an employer-led logistics skills system through the National Skills Strategy and the Logistics Sector Skills Council, HEART/NSTA Trust, employers, tertiary institutions, government, and worker representatives in creating updated curricula, modular credentials, workplace learning, and clearer career pathways.

Earlier that day, the trade integration and digital panel, moderated by Cox, explored how digital systems can improve customs, trade facilitation, and competitiveness. The conclusions of the panel, which included the chair of the Trade Facilitation Task Force, Patricia Francis, will be covered in future articles.

While there has been a notable improvement in the efficiency of the Jamaica Customs Agency, there was still much work to be done in “trading across borders” overall due to the myriad separate entities involved. It is, therefore, very timely that the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce has invited the CEO of one of the 24 entities involved in cross-border trade, Commissioner of Customs Kirk Benjamin, to speak on the topic ‘Transforming Customs and Commerce for a more Competitive Jamaica’ on September 24 at Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel.

A bias for action indeed!

Keith Collister