The Barbados Coalition of Service Industries Inc. (BCSI) has recently launched a new project which being supported across the region. The project is designed to bring local construction professionals in the services sector into the Green Economy will create a new construction services niche and generate export opportunities.
With support from the German Agency for International Cooperation and the Caribbean Export Development Agency, service providers ranging from architects, engineers, contractors, interior designers, urban planners, real estate developers and policy makers will benefit from support to gain their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate and Accredited Professional Designation.
Executive Director of the BCSI Ms. Lisa Cummins said, “as more countries embrace the conversion to a Green Economy, we saw a trend being set globally that professionals engaged in many major building projects are required to have a LEED credential and to undertake construction in a sustainable way. With very few professionals on island with the credential, we found that a large percentage of the market both real and potential is closed off to our service providers. Additionally, they were unable to bid on major and residential projects with large overseas firms because too few of our service providers had certification. This project was developed to address that challenge, create new opportunities and enable our construction services providers to enter that green building market space confidently and competitively.”
The Executive Director further commented that, “these are extremely difficult economic times and we have to look at innovative ways of securing our existing market share even while expanding our market base in order to stimulate economic growth, promote business development and support exporting. The BCSI is committed to doing its part, particularly in the non-traditional sectors where there is high growth potential so we are appreciative of the unwavering support of our development partners who have continued to invest in our efforts to promote private sector development. Supporting our construction professionals to gain LEED certification is part of a much bigger process which will roll out later this year.”
The entire region has bought into the project and with funding support from GIZ and CEDA the BCSI is leading not only Barbados, but also the region in developing a critical mass of professionals who can compete with their counterparts around the world on an equal footing. Participants from the entire CARIFORUM region are expected to benefit from the five-year project.
Thirty-five (35) professionals from across the region will take the LEED Green Associate exam each year from three years and thirty-five (35) more will take the specialized Accredited Professional program. Participants will benefit from online preparation for the LEED exams, provision of all training materials, study guide and support for successful applicants to take the qualifying exam. Two years of the project will be dedicated to credential maintenance.
All building and construction professionals interested in taking part in this initiative are asked to contact the BCSI Secretariat at tel: (246) 429 5357 no later than Friday August 31, 2012 at 5:00 pm. Given the regional scope of the initiative and space is limited and registration will be on a first come first serve basis.
Completed registration forms can be returned to the BCSI Secretariat to Ms. Meshia Clarke at email address mclarke@bcsi.org.bb copied to Ms. Sophia Clarke at email address sclarke@bcsi.org.bb or via fax (246) 429-5352.
