Roseau, Dominica – October 11, 2011…Representatives of the CARICOM Education for Employment Programme (C-EFE) on Monday met with officials of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, Dominica State College and secondary schools for a consultation on skills training in Dominica.
The consultation, which formed Part 3 of an Inception Mission ahead of the programme’s implementation, was held at the national stadium.
Also in attendance were representatives of the private sector including members of the Dominica Manufacturing Association.
The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) is partnering with the Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies (CANTA) to develop the Caribbean-wide project to provide support for technical and vocational training.
The other regional partners are the Association of Caribbean Tertiary Institutions and the CARICOM Secretariat which is charged with positioning the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system in the region to better support a competitive economy.
Linda Cooke of the ACCC said the consultation was intended to help the local TVET Council deliver vocational qualifications to nationals so that they may acquire certification that is “very clear and understood across the region.”
“The ultimate goal is economic development for the Caribbean by training skilled workers for sectors where there is going to be employment,” said Cooke.
“TVET isn’t just auto-mechanics or plumbing. It’s actually a skills based training programme. Where are the emerging skills? They may be in agriculture, in music production or in graphic design.
“So let’s broaden people’s understanding of what skills training is and show that it leads to really good jobs usually and is a way to support families and economies,” she added.
After two previous consultations in the region, the ACCC has already identified priority areas for technical training in Dominica including Agriculture, ICT Hardware and Software, Construction, Early Childhood Education and Hospitality and Tourism.
Participants at Monday’s consultation also advised the visiting delegation of the need for training in high demand areas such a Cosmetology, Craft Production, Plumbing and Music Management and Production.
The TVET programme is designed to provide graduates with relevant technical knowledge and skills and industry recognized credentials to compete in a demand-driven labour market.
The C-EFE will provide support to the local TVET initiative by strengthening capacity to coordinate, promote and conduct quality assurance and in the long run, increase employment of TVET graduates in targeted career areas.
The C-EFE is undertaken with a $20M grant from the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
The project will be fully implemented by the ACCC in January, 2012.
The word sustainability is usually echoed when projects of this kind are implemented. In that regard, it is paramount that those who will be certified as vocational trainers would have performance objectives to monitor the effectiveness of their outputs as it pertains to their students achievements. We need to be accountable and accountability is a pillar of governance
Too often, some people receive knowledge and do not pass on that knowledge to others. Knowledge is not meant to be a person’s artifact, especially when one has received that knowledge gratis and there are Dominicans who have been fortunate to receive all their education at no financial cost to them or their parents/guardians, from Primary school, secondary school, to first degree, second degree and doctorate and refuse to volunteer to share knowledge.
The Canadians have been very generous in the past, providing technical support, equipment and cash for projects in Dominica – other than schools like the St Joseph Primary and Secondary schools, I would like to know of other sustainable projects funded by the Canadian that are viable and operational.
Further, Dominica can attract partners – note, I write partners, to other important projects if the country can exhibit the successes of earlier projects.
I therefore urge the trainers to help impart theory and practice of their training.