TVET targets stronger links in health and wellness industry

The TVET Council is seeking to strengthen collaboration among health and wellness professionals, saying a lack of networking and coordinated professional development has left gaps within the industry.

Speaking to Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of the TVET Council’s Health and Wellness Conference Open Day at the National Botanical Gardens in Waterford, St Michael, on Saturday, acting Senior Technical Officer Kimisha King said the event was designed to bring practitioners together while highlighting key health issues affecting Barbadians.

The open day formed part of a week of activities that included three days of conference sessions at the Hilton Barbados Resort, where participants examined a range of health-related topics.

She explained that the conference programme featured discussions on brain health, women’s health, prostate health and men’s health, as well as workplace policies and the implications of an ageing population.

“We talked about so many different areas of health,” she said, noting that organisers wanted to create space for conversations on issues that increasingly affect workplaces and communities.

King said one of the main motivations behind the conference was the need to connect professionals operating within the health and wellness sector.

“We recognised that there was a gap that needed to be bridged,” she said. “There are so many persons in the health and wellness industry, but there’s no association, there’s no network and there’s limited collaboration.”

According to King, the conference was created to provide opportunities for practitioners to build relationships, share knowledge and explore partnerships that could strengthen the sector.

The initiative also aims to support ongoing learning among professionals through continued professional development training.

“We wanted to be able to help them to offer continued professional development training, which gives them the opportunity to keep at the cutting edge where they’re practising,” she said.

King added that ensuring practitioners remain current with industry developments is essential to maintaining high standards of service and care.

The health and wellness conference concluded with a dinner and awards ceremony at Sandals Royal Barbados, where individuals and organisations were recognised for excellence within the sector.