Guest column by Robert Robertson
The Cayman Islands is noted as having one of the strongest economies in the world. A key to developing and sustaining a strong national economy requires a skilled, productive labour force.
However, the one certainty in today’s global, technologically driven economy is that the workforce of tomorrow will require new skills. Many countries are seeing the imperative to revisit their education and training systems to focus on workforce readiness.
The 2025 World Economic Forum notes that “170 million new jobs will be created by global macro trends this decade. The jobs created are equivalent to 14% of today’s employment. Alongside, 92 million roles will be displaced by these same trends. This means there will be a net employment increase of 78 million jobs. Employers expect 39% of key skills required in the job market will change by 2030.”
To respond to these changes, many organisations are focused on developing their workforce through formal continuous learning, upskilling and reskilling programmes.
The World Economic Forum states that technological skills are particularly important in the future of work. Digital skills are anticipated to grow more rapidly than any other skills in the next five years. In particular, artificial intelligence and big data are very important as is cybersecurity and general technological literacy.
The online learning platform Coursera was launched in 2012 to provide global access to world-class learning, and it now has more than 175 million registered learners.
A recently released global survey completed by Coursera suggests that:
- Demand for GenAI skills accelerated 866% year-over-year as enterprise learners equip themselves with the AI capabilities needed to succeed at work;
- AI skills, like computer vision, PyTorch, and machine learning, doubled in enrolments year over-year, mirroring market demand as AI and ML specialists roles are expected to grow by 40% over the next four years;
- Risk management and cybersecurity skills surge into the fastest-growing skills list, as businesses respond to a 75% increase in cyberattacks in the third quarter of 2024;
- Business skills, like human resources technology and sustainability, are some of the fastest growing among students.
Coursera notes that many of the digital skills required for the future are increasingly delivered using industry-recognised certifications and micro-credentials as opposed to traditional university programmes.
Regionally, the Caribbean has seen increased attention with respect to the emerging skills gap and the future of work.
The 2025 UNESCO report states that “only 46% of students graduating and participation among the poorest at less than 10%, issues of access, equity and completion continue to hinder the region’s higher education systems. Meanwhile, 60% of employers struggle to find skilled workers, underlining the urgent need for upskilling and reskilling.”
In the Caribbean, there is increasing interest in creating and delivering micro-credentials to address the growing workforce skills gap.
Developing the Cayman workforce: The evidence
In the Cayman Islands, there has been an increase in the focus on workforce readiness, including the development of a base of evidence that frames the issues.
For example, on a regular basis, Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman, known as WORC, produces an informative Job Postings Report that provides important data on the workforce and the skills required for specific positions. The report can provide important actionable data required to craft appropriate education and training in the country.
In addition, in 2022, as a part of a major grant from the European Union, the University College of the Cayman Islands, the Chamber of Commerce and the government of the Cayman Islands carried out a Labour Market Assessment.
The intent of the assessment was to understand current skills gap issues and the future skills requirements of employers. Essentially, the research pointed to concerns by employers in the areas of information communication and technology (digital skills), soft skills or people skills, and technical and vocational skills. Overall, employers noted that prospective employees simply lacked the key skills required in the workplace.
In 2024, a series of workshops were conducted that solicited input from key stakeholders in the Cayman Islands representing business, civic society, government and education.
The recommendations from these workshops included:
- Launch a national workforce strategy;
- Align policies, education and industry to close skills gap;
- Centralise career resources by creating a government-backed digital platform showcasing job vacancies, apprenticeships and mentorship opportunities;
- Expand apprenticeships and certifications;
- Provide hands-on training in emerging fields like AI, FinTech and renewable energy;
- Enhance data-driven decision-making by using market data to forecast demand and design effective training programmes;
- Community engagement at every level to champion workforce transformation.
Other research, carried out by Geneve Phillip-Durham and Tamsin Deasey Weinstein, identifies improvements in digital skills that must be considered to address the existing and emerging skills gaps in the workforce of the Cayman Islands.
Five things Cayman could do now
- Develop a national steering committee of business, government, education and other key stakeholders charged with quickly preparing a national workforce readiness strategy to coordinate strategic efforts in meeting existing and emerging skills requirements and remain globally competitive.
- Design an integrated national digital literacy initiative as an urgent priority of an overall national workforce readiness strategy to provide a comprehensive and aligned system of industry-recognised certifications, such as City and Guilds. This approach could include a focus on general digital literacy (office support), artificial intelligence and cybersecurity using a micro credential system. Given the economy of the Cayman Islands and existing global and national research on this issue, digital literacy should be treated as a priority.
- Consider the establishment of a workforce readiness foundation as a public/private not-for-profit organisation charged with assisting in securing funding and providing guidance for a national, focused education and training system.
- Create a workforce-readiness centre with oversight by a public/private sector foundation board charged with ensuring the appropriate industry-certified courses are available to meet local demand. Using the foundation concept, provide the funding required to build a physical centre as a public/private partnership. Workshops conducted by the Cayman Compass identified a pressing need for better facilities for workforce education.
- Using the workforce readiness foundation model of an independent not-for-profit organisation, secure investment from business and government using existing work permit application fees to specifically support training and development for Caymanians and to provide stipend assistance for students.
The skills gap is neither new nor unique to the Cayman Islands. Retaining Cayman’s economic comparative advantage will require a clear, strategic holistic approach that engages all stakeholders. The framework for an initiative of this nature has been confirmed through recent research that highlighted specific skills of importance today and in the future.
Of particular importance, there is a need for digital skills to support the existing business framework. The challenge is to develop and execute a strategy to retain the comparative advantages with respect to the economic position of the Cayman Islands.
Robert Robertson, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Studies, University of London, served as president of the University College of the Cayman Islands from 2022 to 2025. He is a principal fellow, Higher Education Academy, and was recently named a Fellow City and Guilds London Institute for his impactful initiatives in strategically improving higher education, workforce education and economic development.