CASTRIES, St. Lucia – The Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Dr. Didacus Jules has welcomed the World Bank-funded OECS Skills and Innovation Project (SKIP) saying it spans far beyond the discussion of ideas.
A four day Innovation Design Sprint workshop, hosted by SKIP is ending here Friday and was designed to bring together experts to quickly conceptualise, design, prototype, and test a solution to the problem of insufficient private sector involvement in post secondary education sector.
The event is intended to guide the prototyping and development of a user-centred Knowledge Technology and Innovation Platform and is being facilitated by a four member World Bank team headed by Dr. Monica Parra Torrado.
Participants include post-secondary institutions, students, youth representatives and private sector representatives as well as government and policymakers, technology and innovation specialists, members of the diaspora.
It also allowed for representatives from the Council for Persons with Disabilities, The St. Lucia Blind Welfare Association.
“This Design Sprint spans far beyond the discussion of ideas, it introduces innovation in action, by taking us out of the realm of speaking, and placing us firmly in the realm of doing,” said Dr. Jules.
“By collaboratively working together to ideate and prototype the Knowledge Technology and Innovation Platform, we are building a tool that will strengthen collaboration, empower young innovators, entrepreneurs and job-seekers, and drive sustainable economic growth in the OECS region.”
Currently in its inception phase, the Knowledge Technology and Innovation Platform will evolve into a fully functional, dynamic, inclusive, and sustainable regional entrepreneurship and innovation platform.
The OECS Commission said it is a tool which enables continuous collaboration between post-secondary institutions, youth, entrepreneurs, the private sector, and investors, both in the region and the diaspora, as well as other actors in the OECS innovation ecosystem.
It said employers will be able to identify and connect with job seekers whose skills, credentials, and interests align with their organisational needs.
“The Knowledge Technology and Innovation Platform represents an important step in shaping innovation in the OECS. As part of the OECS Skills and Innovation Project, the KTIP will build an OECS community around collaborative innovation, and propel the region towards sustainable, resilient, inclusive and innovation-driven growth,” The OECS Commission added.
