Project will enhance job training in Central America
As a Caribbean nation firmly situated on the Central American mainland, Belize is in a unique position to take advantage of development programmes in both sub-regions. This week it was time to join forces with our Spanish speaking neighbours. News Five’s Alyssa Noble reports.
Alyssa Noble, Reporting
It?s called the System for Demand and Supply of Training Services for Mesoamerica… Phew! And today, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry along with Galen University joined forces with SIECA to launch a new initiative designed to bring Belize one click closer to the rest of Central America.
Saul Morales, Consultant, SIECA
?It is intended to be an internet site dedicated for putting in contact, demanders or users of training labour and offerers or providers of training labour. This will greatly reduce the cost related to management or managing of the training labour in the region. It will put the trainers in Belize for example in a market of over sixty-eight million people in an area comprehensive of eight countries, from Mexico right down to Panama. So this site has been built with resources provided by SIECA, by the Inter-American Development Bank and the USAID organization. It will be mostly free for everyone to access.?
Aside from being mostly free, according to Dr. Nancy Adamson, C.E.O. of Galen University, Belizeans stand to benefit from this database in other ways.
Dr. Nancy Adamson, C.E.O., Galen University
?This will allow businesses and individuals in Belize to go on the website, see what kind of training is available, also it?s an opportunity for them to offer training to identify gaps. Because we are the only English speaking country in Central America. English is increasingly becoming the language of the international business world. We see a great opportunity for others to come to Belize to grapple with subjects like International Trade, Global Business, Management training in English, because that?s the language they?ll need as they move around the world.?
But while today?s SIDCAM launch is heralded as a milestone by many of the organizations involved, Arturo Vasquez, Past President of the Chamber argues that this is only the beginning.
Arturo Vasquez, Past President, B.C.C.I
?It is for us now to promote and publicize this. The database will only get as big as the promotion we give it. Because remember, the database will be built based on people adding themselves to the system. That?s really how the database will grow. So again, people who are providing the training will add on to that. I think there may be a fee because at this point, I think this has been funded by the USAID but I think that in the longer run, the expectation for this is to be self sustainable. So the job is not yet finished, if you can say, this point is probably the easiest part.?
SIECA along with the Chamber and Galen University are already looking at ways to promote the SIDCAM website throughout Belize.
Alyssa Noble reporting for News Five.
That website is www.sidcam.sieca.org.gt
