The national technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system is about to undergo a major transformation.
Speaking during the recently held annual Christmas Luncheon and Staff Awards of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Council (TVETC), Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training (METVT), Kay McConney, disclosed that legislation was coming to support the delivery of Technical Degrees by the TVET Council.
Stating that the TVET discipline would no longer be the stepchild but rather would be treated equally with general education, she noted the future would see a TVET stream for every subject instead of for certain subjects.
She added that this should commence in 2025 and that the TVET Council would be called upon to provide a plan to support the provision of a TVET stream for every subject. The discipline of TVET was expected to play a bigger part in Barbados’ education system, the Minister stressed.
While delivering Christmas greetings, Minister McConney also used the opportunity to express thanks to the TVET Council, the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology, the Barbados Vocational Training Board, and the Barbados Community College, for the support provided with the delivery of the Barbados Construction Gateway Training Initiative (BCGTI).
She acknowledged that despite its small size and limited resources, the TVETC provided a coordinating /monitoring role, which was very important to the success of the project.
During delivery of the welcome remarks, Chairman Dr. Albert Best disclosed that the TVETC would be celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2024. He noted that though the TVET Council Act was passed in 1993, it did not become fully operational until 1998.
He said: “The Council was actually established under the TVET Council Act in December 1993, but became operational with the appointment of the first Council Members in March 1994, and the establishment of the Secretariat in September of that same year.
“It is with interest I note that the Secretariat’s Technical Division and the Employment and Training Fund did not begin operations until 1997 and 1998, respectively, as the organisation grappled with numerous issues related to governance and regulatory matters.”
He explained that the TVETC was set up through a collaboration of the World Bank and the Government of Barbados with a specific remit to help coordinate the national TVET system. A move that stemmed from research which informed the development of the 1990 Regional TVET Strategy, which identified an absence of coordination and management as a key failing of the region’s national TVET systems that was significantly impacting their quality.
During the Staff Awards component of the event, Technical Officer, Nicole Collymore, was presented with the Unsung Hero Award for quietly working behind the scenes to be supportive of her colleagues.
Manager, Finance and Corporate Services (Ag.), Rosline Cumberbatch, received the STAR (Service, Teamwork, Attitude, Reliability) Award for consistently excelling in her position, as well as making outstanding contributions in the areas of service and dedication to the TVETC.
The Executive Director’s Award for teamwork went to the team responsible for planning and executing the Barbados Annual Construction and Design Conference, which was held in September this year.