Who is popular today?

There’s a quiet panic rippling through living rooms, WhatsApp groups and classrooms across TT, but it’s not loud enough yet.
Not loud enough to shake the status quo.
Not loud enough to stop parents from funnelling their children into degrees that are rapidly losing their value.
Not loud enough to make us realise we are preparing for a world that no longer exists.
The truth is, the world of work has shifted – dramatically and permanently. But we’re still operating like it’s 2010.
It’s time to stop waiting on government initiatives or curriculum changes and start taking personal responsibility for how we prepare ourselves and our children for a global future.
That future is already here and it won’t wait for us to catch up.
Across workshops and community sessions, the fear is palpable.
"I feel like I wasted four years," said Anika, a recent business admin graduate. "Nobody told me this degree wouldn’t open doors.
"Now I’m stuck applying to jobs I don’t want, hoping someone picks me."
She’s not alone. Thousands of young people are graduating with degrees in business administration, hospitality, marketing, human resource management and general IT – only to find themselves unemployed, underpaid or irrelevant in a digital-first economy.
[caption id="attachment_1170711" align="alignnone" width="1024"] PAST VS FUTURE: A comparison of what a workplace used to look like in the past, left, versus a modern, futuristic workplace now. -[/caption]
This isn’t just a Caribbean problem. Globally, the return on investment for many degrees is plummeting.
In the US, over 40 per cent of college graduates are underemployed – working jobs that don’t require their degree, according to a 2023 Federal Reserve Bank of New York report.
In the UK, more than one-third of university graduates are in non-graduate jobs five years after graduation.
While we’re not yet tracking this data comprehensively in TT, our lived reality mirrors these trends.
Why is this happening?
Automation, artificial intelligence, outsourcing and oversaturation have radically reshaped the labour market. Because employers are hiring based on skills and portfolios, not degrees.
And because digital tools now allow companies to hire globally, meaning our young people are no longer just competing with classmates, but with freelancers and experts in Brazil, India, the Philippines and Eastern Europe.
The challenge is clear. But so is the opportunity.
We don’t just need more "job readiness" – we need global relevance.
If we want to strengthen our economy, we need more citizens bringing in foreign exchange, not just consuming it.
That means tapping into global careers, freelancing platforms, remote businesses and exportable skills.
[caption id="attachment_1170710" align="alignnone" width="1024"] -[/caption]
So what should young people – and their parents – be looking toward?
High-growth, high-demand fields like:
· Data analytics, cybersecurity and AI-related roles
· Cloud computing, DevOps and UX/UI design
· Digital marketing, SEO and performance content
· E-commerce operations, digital payments and logistics
· Healthcare technology and elder care services
· Sustainable energy, climate adaptation and environmental science
These aren’t speculative guesses – these are the fields being tracked by the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report and dominating platforms like Upwork, LinkedIn and Indeed.
But what we heard in the workshop wasn’t just data, it was desperation.
Leanne, a mother of two teenagers, put it plainly: "I want to guide them, but I feel like I don’t even know what’s safe anymore. Nobody tells us what the new path is."
The new path isn’t a straight line. It won’t always come with a syllabus or a job fair. But it’s becoming clearer every day – skills first, digital visibility, lifelong learning and the courage to play on the global stage.
And that stage? It starts online.
As sales and content expert Jarrod Best-Mitchell put it, "LinkedIn is no longer just a place to upload your resume. It’s the most powerful platform for attracting global opportunities, if you use it intentionally."
He’s right. Students and professionals who build a presence on LinkedIn are learning to pitch themselves, connect with international players and show proof of skill – not just proof of graduation.
It’s not just about jobs. It’s about options – freedom, earning power and dignity.
Too many of our brightest minds are being fed into a funnel that leads to call centre jobs, unpaid internships or "entry-level roles" with no ceiling.
It’s time to turn that funnel sideways and start showing our people the full landscape of what’s possible.
Yes, we need a system change. But while we wait, we need a personal strategy.
Your child doesn’t have to be a tech genius, but they do need to be digitally literate, globally aware and able to position themselves for value in the new economy.
The world isn’t waiting for the Caribbean. And we can’t afford to wait either.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. The opportunity is in our hands, and now, it’s our move.
Keron Rose is a Caribbean-based digital strategist and digital nomad currently living in Thailand.
He helps entrepreneurs across the region build their digital presence, monetise their platforms and tap into global opportunities.
Through his content and experiences in Asia, Rose shares real-world insights to help the Caribbean think bigger and move smarter in the digital age.
Listen to the Digipreneur FM podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.
 
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