Tech degrees to be offered in TVET system overhaul

Minister of Education Kay McConney has unveiled plans for an overhaul of the nation’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system that would include the offering of technical degrees.

She told the annual Christmas luncheon and staff awards of the TVET Council that forthcoming legislation to allow for technical degrees would mark a shift towards equal treatment of TVET alongside general education.

She outlined a vision for a TVET stream to be incorporated into every subject, marking a departure from the current practice of limiting TVET to specific subjects.

The anticipated implementation of this change is set for 2025, with the TVET Council tasked to devise a plan supporting the provision of a TVET stream for each subject.

Highlighting the increased role of TVET in the education system, McConney expressed gratitude to key institutions, including the TVET Council, the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology, the Barbados Vocational Training Board, and the Barbados Community College, for their support in the Barbados Construction Gateway Training Initiative (BCGTI).

Although the TVET Council marks the 30th anniversary of its creation by an Act of Parliament in December 1993, Chairman Dr Albert Best said the council will base its celebrations around the appointment of the council’s first members in March 1994. It would be another four years before the agency became fully operational.

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.”

The establishment of the TVETC resulted from a collaboration between the World Bank and the Government of Barbados,  aiming to coordinate the national TVET system based on research that identified a lack of coordination as a significant challenge affecting the quality of regional TVET systems, he explained.

During the staff awards, Technical Officer Nicole Collymore received the Unsung Hero Award for her “silent yet impactful support” for colleagues. Rosline Cumberbatch, acting as finance and corporate services manager, was honoured with the STAR (Service, Teamwork, Attitude, Reliability) Award for her consistent excellence and outstanding contributions in service and dedication to the council.

The Executive Director’s Award for teamwork was presented to the team responsible for planning and executing the Barbados Annual Construction and Design Conference held in September.
(BGIS/BT)