Director of the UWI-based Centre for Language Learning (CLL), Dr Beverly-Anne Carter is of the view that stronger foreign language competence has the potential to significantly boost competitiveness in the business world.
Speaking with T&T Guardian as planning for January’s website Optimisation for International Trade workshop picked up pace, Dr Carter said what was needed in the face of an expanding global business environment was “an all-hands-on deck strategy to boost Trinidad and Tobago’s competitiveness.”
“We know of a strategy that has worked and it is worthwhile adding it to the basket of largely economic strategies which we traditionally apply,” she said. She cited the experience of local cosmetics giant, Sacha Cosmetics, as an example of “best practice” in reaching previously untouched markets for T&T products.
“They have totally embraced an outward-looking, not confined to the English-speaking world, approach to doing business,” the CLL head said.
January’s series of workshops is being run by UK-based Grow Global in collaboration with the CLL. Grow Global managing director, Sarah Carroll, will be flying in to facilitate the event. Carroll is a leading UK expert on the use of Web sites for international business communication.
She is credited with developing UK Trade and Investment’s best practice methodology for the international Web site review and international Web optimisation master classes.
CLL will host three workshops on the UWI St Augustine campus on January 13 to 14, in South Trinidad on January 12, and in Tobago on January 15.
• Email lang.comp@sta.uwi.edu for more information.