Chairman of the Technical Vocational Education and Training Council in Dominica, Eddison Henry wants TVET to be synonymous with success in Dominica.
The chairman laments that for too long the acquisition of skills has been downplayed as an alternative to academics.
On Thursday, March 10th, GIS News spoke with Henry on the second day of a TVET industry linkage forum held at the Fort Young Hotel.
“Unfortunately TVET has had a cultural deficiency in that we have seen it as a subject for those who are not so academically inclined. We’re seeking to change that culture because we see education and training working in equal partnership for a person’s development.
“Education provides the ‘know why’ and training provides the ‘know how’ so over time the ‘know why’ and the ‘know how’ coincides to create a well-rounded fit-for- purpose employee.”
He notes that while those who have achieved academically do well financially, those who practice skills in many cases have done even better.
He says the TVET Council is progressing smoothly to reach one of its aims which is to certify skilled professionals with the Caribbean Vocational Qualifications.
“We are putting our systems in place to be able to award the CVQ and that process will require certifiers, trainers, verifiers, auditors and [others]. We have also developed a cadre of those to man that process. We have two programmes which are being administered by the State College and we hope to use that as a catalyst for awarding our first national vocational qualification,” he says.
Henry adds the Youth Development Division, C.A.L.L.S. and the Social Centre are partners who may conver their programmes to a national vocational qualification.
The chairman gave an update on the Industry Linkage Forum which concluded on Thursday. He says the discussions have gone exceptionally well and he looks forward to what is next for TVET.
He emphasized entrepreneurship.
“What is next is using all of this momentum and information to help build the relationship with industry and with the schools to provide employable TVET practitioners.”
In Dominica, seven secondary schools offer TVET subjects which include woodwork, agriculture, auto mechanics, electricity and others.
The CVQ programme is being piloted in three secondary schools in the areas of food preparation, garment production and crop production.
Meantime, the Hon Minister for Employment, Ian Douglas wants the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) to become a household name in Dominica.
He sees CVQ qualifications as equal to CXC qualifications.
The Employment Minister says also that the work of the National Employment programme complements the work of the TVET Council in its quest to certify skilled professionals.
“CVQ gives a certification for Caribbean people who ate skilled in their vocations. That ties in nicely with what the Ministry of Trade and Employment is trying to do- to empower and equip our people to be skilled in various vocations.”
For more information about Dominica’s CVQ and TVET programmes, visit the Ministry of Education website.