A group of Dominican students is on a study tour to St. Lucia this week as part of CARICOM’s programme to engage students in understanding the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

Nineteen (19) students from the Dominica State College travelled to St. Lucia to participate in a series of engagements which have been arranged with ministries/departments responsible for labour, commerce and immigration as well as the local stock exchange, the central bank, a regional service company and a large financial institution.

The objective of the CARICOM project is to engage the next generation in identifying career opportunities in the field with regard to wage employment, self employment and starting a business within the CSME.

The students were organized in groups of five (5) to cover the following:
1) Movement of Skills
2) Movement of Capital and the Right of Establishment
3) Provision of Services
4) Free Movement of Goods

The group of Business students is accompanied by Mr. Edgar Hunter, Director of Student Services and Lecturer at the Dominica State College; Ms. Kerahia Jno. Baptiste, CARICOM Youth Ambassador; and Ms. Claudia Walter, Administrative Secretary of Regional Integration and Diaspora Unit.

In preparation for the field tour, the group of students were engaged in discussions with H.E. Felix Gregoire, Ambassador to the OECS and CARICOM; Ms. Careen Prevost, Permanent Secretary of the Ministries of Trade and Foreign Affairs; Mr. Matthew Leblanc, Labour Commissioner; and Mr. Floyd Capitolin, Trade Officer.

At the end of the field visit, each student will write a report which will critique the CSME arrangements and will make presentations to peers as well as the media.

Funding for the project is provided by the CARICOM Secretariat under the 10th European Development Fund (10th EDF) CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and Economical Integration Programme (EIP).