New project to teach tech courses to disadvantaged youth

A new training initiative has been launched in two public housing areas, Pinelands and Haynesville, seeking to increase access to technological training and educational opportunities for underprivileged young people aged 18-35.

The Pinelands Creative Workshop/Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology (SJPI) Satellite Programme will offer certified introductory courses in computer information processing, computerised accounting and finance, and computer-aided drafting (AutoCAD).

Speaking at the official launch on Monday, Sophia Greaves, CEO of Pinelands Creative Workshop, said the programme aims to “narrow the gap” for those who left school without qualifications or need to re-skill.

“This programme is a proactive effort to improve accessibility to educational opportunities, especially for those excluded because they do not have the required entry requirements or were unable to secure qualifications,” she said.

Greaves added that poor education and unemployment are major drivers of social exclusion for young people. “We are looking to balance the unevenness as it relates to exclusion, and recognise that education can be used as that instrument to craft out a path to social inclusion.”

Deputy Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw echoed the need to be “urgent” about transforming education to prevent people from being “left behind” without certificates.

She declared: “I am startled every time I hear the figures of  how many persons are being left behind…how many people come out without certificates. That is what makes us as a government so urgent in the agenda to bring about education transformation. It must not be that we are satisfied as a society in people coming out of schools without certificates. It must never be that we are satisfied that people are not sure of the options that are available to them. It must never be that people feel as though they have been discarded because they did not go to a particular school and therefore they are not part of a fraternity

“Those things must never be the things that as a society that we settle for. That is why this type of inclusive programmes becomes so important, because it is intended to send the message that we are attempting to be inclusive of everybody.

Minister of State in the MInistry of  Education and Technological and Vocational training Sandra Husbands highlighted Barbados’ ageing population, saying the island “cannot afford to lose one young person from our economy” and must ensure they can be productive to support the elderly.

“Barbados is a small island, it has something like 270 000 people. At the moment between 35 to 40 per cent are over the age of 50,” she said. “[We need] to make sure that they can earn their very best, because a small group of people are going to have to carry the aged population of Barbados.

“It is important because we are right now focusing on education transformation because we can not have 40 per cent of our children leaving school without some form of certification. It is not sustainable. (SB)