Bridgetown, Barbados. August  14 to 15, 2014 . BAGNALL´S POINT BIDC Barbados Investment & Development Corporation Head quarters fontabelle .

In an official note sent by the Embassy of Barbados to the Permanent Secretariat, dated October 28 this year, they requested the inclusion of the activity “Seminar on the Apparel Industry and Economic Development in the Caribbean: Efficient Planning and Allocation of Resources” in SELA Work Programme for 2014.

The textile industry has always been a very active sector in the global economy. In particular, the fashion design industry has recorded an increase of US$ 1.7 trillion in 2012, employing about 75 million people worldwide. In the Latin American market, this sector accounted for approximately US$ 35.1 billion during the period 2012-2017, with Brazil as the fifth largest producer. This industry is the second largest productive sector in terms of employment in the region.

The CARICOM countries remain on the margins of the industrial sector of fashion design, and its products are yet to penetrate significantly international markets. Specifically in Barbados, where there are some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in this industry, fashion design is dominated by micro-enterprises, which in turn face major challenges in their transition to small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Government of Barbados has provided the sector with technical and marketing support for years, as it recognizes the potential of the industry for the socio-economic development of the country. In other CARICOM countries, the ongoing efforts do not consider value chains, but rather events and activities. Another problem has been identified: The lack of knowledge to form public-private partnerships.

In this regard, a seminar focused on industrial planning, allocation of resources and investment, and training and dissemination of best practices could be very useful, not only for Barbados, but also for the countries in the Caribbean región.