Press Release Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 13, 2016 (SKNIS):
The Ministry of Education has launched an over EC $32 million (32,756,000) Technical and Vocational, Education and Training (TVET) Enhancement Project in collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). This project is aimed at providing high quality educational opportunities for its trainees.
During the launch at the Bird Rock Beach Hotel Conference Room, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Honourable Shawn Richards, said that, “At the end of this project, the Ministry of Education and by extension the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis will be able to boast of a high quality, relevant and gender-responsive TVET training system.” He added that the certification provided under the project will be accepted worldwide.
The Deputy Prime Minister said that the government is not only putting the project into place, but is ensuring from the very start that the programme is one that has a quality element to it.
“We are ensuring that when the necessary programmes are put in place that students and those who would have finished school, but decide to enrol in particular classes, that they have the assurance that there is a quality component to the programmes,” said Minister Richards.
He outlined the benefits namely that the staff of the TVET Council in St. Kitts and Nevis will have the opportunity to be engaged in short-term training and study tours, thereby enhancing the operational effectiveness of the TVET Secretariat. Principals, teachers and instructors will also be trained; some up to degree level in TVET skilled areas, and others will be trained as assessors and verifiers for Competency Based Education Training. (CBET)
In addition, infrastructure and equipment will be improved at all TVET institutions including CFBC, AVEC, the Multipurpose Centre in Nevis and the secondary schools on St. Kitts and Nevis. The improved facilities will ensure that TVET institutions meet the required standards for Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) certification at AVEC and CFBC.
Infrastructural improvement under the enhancement project will include the construction of Workshop Extension at CFBC, construction of an ICT Lab, TVET multi-purpose workshops, a classroom block at AVEC and a SMART classroom linked with the Multi-Purpose Center on Nevis. The laboratories and workshops in the secondary schools will also be upgraded.
The Education Minister said the project will also target trainees who are at-risk and need some support, by providing relevant academic and psycho-social interventions to keep youths meaningfully engaged. This will improve students’ educational outcomes and skills sets needed for life outside of school, said the Deputy Prime Minister. The approach is based on a holistic and child-friendly initiative with emphases on:
(i) screening, monitoring, and supporting underperforming students
(ii) strengthening Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) instruction in primary and secondary schools
(iii) implementing youth empowerment programming and relevant career counseling in secondary schools and
(iv) facilitating parental engagement for learners at-risk.
“The afore-mentioned approach is part of the Ministry’s efforts to support the national crime fighting initiatives,” said Minister Richards.
