Belizean Students get to meet with the Head of the Regional Development and Integration Section, Delegation of the EU to Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, and for the Dutch Overseas Countries and Territories, Mr. Luca Pierantoni.

After a week of hard work visiting, analysing and interacting with both facilitators and receivers of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy experience, the students had some time to unwind and share their experiences and stories in a relaxing and encouraging atmosphere. 

The CARICOM Secretariat, via the CSME Unit, is currently executing the project Students Engaging the CSME through Field Promotion.  

This project entails training youths to identify and develop responses to CSME opportunities.

The objective is to engage the next generation in identifying career possibilities with regard to wage employment, self-employment and starting a business in the CSME.  

This project was first initiated in 2008 and lasted until 2009, with the assistance of the 9^th European Development Fund (EDF) Caribbean Integration Support Programme (CISP). Some two hundred and eight three CARICOM university and college students were mobilized and trained in the field, on how to identify and develop a response to CSME opportunities.

For 2015, the objective of this 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 project is an activity of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat CSME Public Education Programme facilitated with the 10^th EDF CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) Economic Integration Programme (EIP). A series of engagements will be arranged, inter alia, with the Ministries/ Departments responsible for Labour, Commerce, and Immigration and for the local issuing of CARICOM Skills Certificates. In addition, companies such as the local stock exchange, the central bank, a regional service company and a large regional financial institution will also be visited and their senior personnel engaged in discussion.

For this phase of the 2015 Student Missions, a lecturer and a CARICOM Youth Ambassador (CYA) will accompany the students in addition to the Focal Point of the sending country and CARICOM Secretariat staff. Ideally, the lecturer will be responsible for Caribbean Studies from one of the institutions the students attend, while the CYA will be chosen by the Member State.