Latest update December 13th, 2024 1:00 AM
May 14, 2013 News
Strategic moves have been engaged by the Ministry of Education to develop a National Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) plan, which is expected to lend to practical improvement within the sector by 2020.
This was the highlight of a TVET workshop which commenced yesterday at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD). The workshop will culminate tomorrow.
At an opening ceremony at the Kingston, Georgetown venue, it was amplified that although Guyana has been recording outstanding performances in the area of TVET, moves are currently apace to further improve not only the delivery of courses in this regard but also the performance of students.
This venture comes on the heels of moves by the Caribbean Examination Council, last year, to identify two local students among the top five Regional performing candidates in this area.
Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, underscored that Guyana is currently in a good place to implement recommendations that are expected to emanate from the workshop. This is possible, she noted, since the ground work has already been laid for TVET “to really take off in Guyana.”
“We have, as a country, recognised the need for a more proactive movement in the area of technical vocational education as a result of which we have built institutions and we have signed on to the programme for doing TVET,” said the Minister.
The vision for TVET, according to her, is one that was envisioned by the People’s Progressive Party Administration which will be brought to fruition by the Education Ministry.
The vision of the TVET structure, she added, will cater to the needs of the nation’s children as it relates to “what is going to happen to our children? What they are going to be exposed to? Where they are going to work? What kind of skills they are going to have?”
She implored the modest gathering of technical experts within the Ministry to not have the workshop be reduced to merely a “talk shop” but rather be one to adopt practical thinking to the local situation.
“Don’t just theorise about what’s good and what the world is moving to…but how will it work in Guyana with our resources as well as with our lack of resources and that is what must be placed on the table for every single topic.”
It is the view of the Minister that while TVET is not where it is supposed to be at this point there is a great deal that can be done to change this state of affairs.
Currently, technical vocational subjects are offered in all secondary schools and primary tops across Guyana, and according to the Minister one of the key elements of TVET should be to instil in students the desire to pursue further studies in this regard.
It is imperative that when students leave school they are certified and competent in areas that they have been trained and become eligible to operate in the workforce, said Manickchand, who also challenged the gathering at the workshop to find ways to attract females to the area of TVET.
Also speaking at yesterday opening was Assistant Chief Education Officer in the area of TVET, Patrick Chinedu, who in detailing an improvement plan for TVET by 2020, underscored that 50 per cent of jobs around the world are related to TVET.
As such he noted that it is certainly not merely an alternative path of study. He made reference to the fact that although children are known to learn at varying rates there are various ways that they can do so.
“We know that TVET provides a venue for persons to start that lifelong learning…we predict therefore when these children are given the opportunity they can come back to the general education stream and then progress to any level of education they can have in their life.”
The commencement of the workshop also saw President of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association, Clinton Williams, underscoring that the rate of any country’s economic development is inextricably linked to its productivity and international competitiveness.
This, he said, can effectively help to build a competent workforce.
As such he noted that the current project document of TVET refers to its vision of education for employment, while its mission statement alludes to conceptualisation and coordination, delivery of modular competency based education training in order to create and sustain a workforce that is accredited to be internationally competitive.
He is therefore optimistic that the workshop will realise the deliverables emanating from the workshop inclusive of implementation of education training programmes across the country for both formal and non-formal education institutions, the implementation of a national strategy of assessment and certification and implementation of quality assurance guidelines for Guyana to be recognised as an accreditation body for the Caribbean Vocational Qualification, among others.
The three-day workshop will be facilitated by expert Consultant Paulette Dunn-Pierre and associates from her company Dunn-Pierre Barnett and Associates of the Caribbean Region, who were on hand yesterday to detail the proposed agenda for the workshop.
Dec 13, 2024
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