May 30, 2023
Governments and institutions can help to create more jobs by empowering micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to thrive and expand, and that’s something Joseph Boll, Caribbean Employment Services Inc. CEO, would like to see more of.
Caribbean Employment Services Inc. is a market-leading digital talent acquisition service that aims to connect the top talent from the Caribbean with hiring managers, HR professionals and decision-makers in companies both within the Caribbean as well as abroad. Further, it aims to provide the region’s jobseekers and those who are already employed with news and resources related to Caribbean labour.
Boll’s comments come on the heels of IDB Invest providing a USD$10 million line of credit to Belize Bank Limited. The line of credit is expected to help support MSMEs, which employ approximately two-thirds of the Belizean workforce.
“Not just in Belize but in other countries around the Caribbean, MSMEs are a major provider of stable, fair-paying jobs,” the CEO said. “That’s one of the reasons why it’s expected that MSMEs will be a major driving force for job creation and economic growth in the future, particularly while tourism is on the rebound from the pandemic.”
Data from the Caribbean Development Bank indicates that 70 to 85 percent of Caribbean businesses are MSMEs, accounting for around 50 percent of Caribbean jobs and 60 to 70 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). These statistics show that MSMEs can have a significant impact on employment.
However, Boll said that initiatives to support MSMEs and allow them to thrive and expand will help pave the way for more jobs to come onstream. He noted that it’s fairly common to see programmes aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship, but that subsequent support could be stronger.
“Helping someone decide to become an entrepreneur is one thing, but helping that business to start is another. Helping them with hiring, with balancing books, with expanding — all of these things require support. It would augur well for residents, businesses and respective economies for MSMEs to be empowered to succeed and continue to grow, and we hope to see more programmes launched in the future that will bring it to fruition.”