Developing and improving work-based skills for all employees with TVET

(Back) Wil Pineau, Walling Whittaker, Fazal Karim,
Philip Scott. (Front) Ronald Phillip, Jennifer Smith,
Paulette Dunn-Smith

Monday, May 23,  2005

The Technical and Vocational Educational and Training (TVET) conference took a comprehensive look on what elements are required in developing a skilled labour force recently.

TVET is an initiative that provides greater access to training and certification and helps employees to upgrade their skills. Furthermore, it creates a system that bridges post secondary and tertiary education. Keynote speakers included labour and education experts from the National Council of TVET, Trinidad and Tobago as well as the Department of Employment Relations and the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce.

Senior Director for the National Council on TVET (NCTVET), Paulette Dunn-Smith highlighted the elements of the competency system.

“TVET calls for a different culture and orientation, which is learner focused and outcome based,” said Ms Dunn-Smith. “It is not time bound or time based, but focused on the learner.”

She explained that there are no grades assigned and that learning does not exclude people.

“You are either competent or you are not competent. We really want to create open access for everyone in the system. Creating paths for the world of workers as well as furthering education and stressing life long learning. Everyone can learn; it is not just one set of people.”

Fazal Karim from Trinidad and Tobago stated that Government and private sector should coordinate their programmes to avoid duplication.

“It is important to coordinate activities for TVET and avoid duplication of resources so that we can focus on developing our Caribbean countries,” said Mr Karim. “We need to move to a competency based system.”

He explained that employers need employees that have work-ready skills so they can perform as required and make a contribution in the work place.

“Ensuring a fit between training provided and labour competencies required will ultimately lead to a more competitive work force, higher levels of productivity and improved quality of life.”

Ronald Phillip, Research and Development Manager for the Caribbean Centre for Labour Market Studies (CCLMS) discussed labour market information.

“We need to cordinate information from all the major stakeholders, the ministries of education, tourism, chamber of commerce and employers,” said Mr Phillip. He explained the demand and supply components of the labour market.

“On the demand side, employers want a skillable workforce and on the supply side we need training for people to develop skills.”

The then Minister of Education, Hon Roy Bodden talked about attitudes in the work force.

“We live in a credential-based society that often considers blue collar work demeaning,” said Mr Bodden. “We can’t dispel these attitudes overnight but the foundations must be laid and TVET qualifications will provide certification of workforce skills in a practical and achievable way. However, to be successful the programme must be supported by the wider community, the public and private sectors.”

Assistant Director of Employment Relations, Jennifer Smith said the TVET conference was motivating.

“It is encouraging that the event was attended by such a wide range of people, across all industries in Cayman, interested in the development of a recognised quality workforce,” said Ms Smith. “By standardising a national system of competency and work-based training, TVET qualifications will become accepted not just in Cayman but across the entire CARICOM region and beyond.”

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