Trinidad & Tobago is a small developing twin island state in the Caribbean that is blessed with rich natural resources: oil, natural gas, asphalt. The presence of these resources has facilitated the industrialisation of Trinidad and the development of one other resource, our people. Today, Trinidad is home to the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies and the University of Trinidad and Tobago. These two main tertiary level institutions, as well as various technical and vocational programmes, both governmental and non-governmental, have seen thousands of engineers, scientists and technologists walking through their doors over the years, with a few thousands more with each new year.
There is a visible need for the certification of skills in Trinidad & Tobago and the greater Caribbean, especially as we move to diversify our economy away from oil. Emphasis has been placed on the manufacturing sector and the service sector in forging this path, however in order to offer our skills to the global market, we must first meet its requirements; i.e. international professional certification and registration.
From my first introduction to the IET, to now as the YMS Representative, I have been aiming towards the establishment of a local IET office here in Trinidad which would serve as the link to the Caribbean. This initiative would transform the IET‟s presence here: from being just another professional body, to a physical brick and mortar organisation. Directly stemming from this would be member access to the various services currently being offered by the other IET LN‟s, as well as the promotion of public acceptance of the IET and the YMS as authentic bodies.
Currently, we are pursuing registration of the IET and the YMS as professional entities in Trinidad & Tobago. As a developing nation, mistrust by local and international firms is commonplace, but hopefully once registration is complete, we can gain the support of larger players in both the public and private sectors. Communications have already been established with the educational institutions mentioned above, as well as with other facilities such as: COSTAATT, SBCS, SAMS, MIC, and TRINZUELA.
It is my belief that Trinidad & Tobago is a valuable resource-base for the IET, especially the YMS. The current and future turnover of young professionals and our relationship with the rest of the Caribbean has placed us in an exciting position in leading the charge into the global marketplace. It is indeed a difficult journey to embark on, but with your support, we will.
Sanjay Suchit, MIET
Young Member Representative
Trinidad & Tobago LN
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