Technical training a key element in Guyana development – Education Minister

Apr 03, 2018 News

Minister of Education, Ms. Nicolette Henry

-CTVET poised to give instrumental support

A variety of training needs will have to be met if Guyana is to be a viable nation of the 21st century. This observation was recently made by Minister of Education, Ms. Nicolette Henry, when she addressed a retreat held by the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training [CTVET].
Indeed she recognised that CTVET has already started to play a major role in helping to realise Guyana’s ambitious training goals. She, moreover, applauded the members of the CTVET for their bravery and for understanding and embracing the change that needs to happen so that they can face the increasing demands for training.
In her deliberation at the forum, too, Minister Henry stressed how important it is for the CTVET to include in its work plan, in a very meaningful way, the opportunity to nurture and develop soft skills.
“I trust that you will use your energy and your expertise in that area. That is a much needed inclusion which I believe, if properly harnessed, can improve operational efficiency and efficacy of this important sector,” said Henry as she addressed those gathered at the retreat at Cara Lodge, Quamina Street, Georgetown.
The retreat, which was deliberately convened to emphasise the important role of TVET, was held under the theme: “Strategic thinking for improved delivery of Competency Based Education and Training [CBET] programmes in Guyana.”

A section of the attendees at the CTVET retreat

As she embraced the theme, Minister Henry noted the increasing importance of the CTVET to enable Guyana to take its new place in the world. “I trust that this retreat will give you the roadmap and action plans to be able to reach out to the wider community, including: internal stakeholders, the private sector and the employers of industries, other training institutions, government agencies and non-governmental organisations that are involved in providing training skills and work force development,” the Minister added.
She went on to highlight that training programmes need to be developed to cater to the new emerging industries and skill areas that Guyana’s workforce is waiting to join. “From increased skills and qualifications in the expanding agriculture sector in mechanised farming to eco-tourism management and training strategies to guarantee the future proofing of the Guyanese work force in the emerging oil and gas industries.”
Meanwhile, CTVET Councillor, Archibald Clifton, in explaining the aim of the retreat said that there are 17 specific functions of the Council. These, he said, include: monitoring the technical and vocational education and training of apprentices; to establish national training standards and performance testing; to approve registered training organisations as supervising entities and to monitor all registered technical institutes and other tertiary institutions and regulate their facilities.
Some of the major areas for consideration at the retreat that were highlighted by Clifton were the staffing complement of the CTVET, the vulnerability of the CTVET due to increase demand for its services and how CTVET intends to meet the demand for an increase in the services provided.
Also addressing the forum was Chairman of CTVET, Mr. Clinton Williams. In his remarks, he made it clear that moves are already apace to address the stigma that is attached to Technical and Vocational Education. This, he said, is being addressed with the empowerment phenomena, which could be promoted through entrepreneurship.
He, moreover, added that work needs to be done to improve the role of private and public sectors substantially in advancing the role of TVET. Williams said too, that TVET needs to be strengthened its relationship with regional and global partners.
In delivering an overview of the Council’s work, Senior TVET Officer, Mr. Jerry Simpson, said that in 2015, training in TVET saw 467 National Vocational Certificates, 521 in 2016, and 475 Caribbean Vocational Certificates and 151 National Vocational Certificates.

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