Industry leaders in regional air transport, educational professionals, economists and development partners from across the globe will gather to discuss solutions to the main constraints to Regional air transport growth and development, and youth unemployment, during the 45th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) (#CDBBoG45) in St. Kitts and Nevis from May 20-21, 2015.
Under the meeting theme, ‘Facilitating Growth: Transforming Regional Logistics Infrastructure and Encouraging Youth Entrepreneurship, the Bank will release two major studies entitled, ‘Making Regional Air Transport Work Better for the Caribbean’ and ‘Youth are the Future: The Imperative of Youth Employment for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean.’ The two seminars will explore the findings of these studies, with input from panellists drawn from civil society, public and private sector.
On Wednesday, May 20 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Caribbean Time (ECT), Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister, St. Vincent and the Grenadines will chair the panel discussion on the topic, ‘Making Air Transport Work Better for the Caribbean’ #BetterAirTransport.
Panellists including David Evans, CEO, LIAT (1974) Ltd; Ian Bertrand, former CEO, BWIA; Nari Williams-Singh, Director General, Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority; and Damien Reeves, Economist, CDB, will examine the operational and financial problems faced by the Region’s airlines, identify possible transformative opportunities, and discuss a two-speed solution.
The following day, Thursday, May 21 at 10:30 a.m. ECT, the topic, ‘Youth are the Future: The Imperative of Youth Employment for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean’ #Jobs2030, will focus on the high levels of youth unemployment in the Region and the consequences for youth and wider socio-economic development. Drawing on global best practices, panellists will discuss a number of policy interventions and an action plan to reduce youth unemployment and provide decent jobs by 2030.
Panellists include Myrna Bernard, Director, Human Development, CARICOM Secretariat; Azilla Clarke, Director, Social Services and Community Development, St. Kitts and Nevis; Dr. Klaus-Dieter Przyklenk, TVET and Labour Market, Senior Advisor, Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH; and Dr. Kari Grenade, Economist, CDB. Dr. Justin Ram, Director Economics, CDB will chair the discussion.
Prior to the seminars, Professor the Hon. Gordon Shirley, resident and Chief Executive Officer of the Port Authority of Jamaica, will be the keynote speaker the 16th William G. Demas Memorial Lecture #Demas16, today, Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at the Sir Cecil Jacobs Auditorium, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.
Both seminars will be streamed live via the Annual Meeting website, http://www.caribank.org/bog45/newsroom/live. The seminars will also be available on-demand via http://www.caribank.org/bog45/newsroom/videos upon conclusion.
