Vocational Education Must Align with Global Changes

Vocational education has to be aligned in accordance with a revolutionized global socio-economic landscape

 Kindly permit me a space in your Daily Stabroek News Paper to provide a detailed response in the form of clarification on an article that was published on the 15th of December 2024, which captioned” “Talent at Bishops’ should not be used for Vocational Education”. Firstly, let me start by providing a comprehensive definition for TVET. According to the definition by UNESCO and the International Labour Organization (ILO), TVET refers to “aspects of the educational process involving, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related sciences, and the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupants in various sectors of economic and social life” (UNESCO and ILO, 2001).

As so, it clear that the writer of the above stated article is perhaps not aware and current as to the fundamental principles that are associated with Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in a rapidly evolving landscape particularly, the Ministry of Education (MOE) Guyana. As such, my intention in this academic piece is to provide to our netizen’s users and the wider reading populace greater clarity on the importance of TVET in a drastically revolutionized socio-economic landscape. The Ministry of Education (MOE) is very clear in its Strategic Vision 2021-2025; Vision 2030 that TVET will be re-positioned, re-aligned and re-engineered to provide each Secondary School leaver with a duality of Certification, this means that each child exiting the secondary school system must do so with a CXC Certificate, as well as a Skills Certificate (Caribbean Vocational Qualification- CVQ, Secondary Competence Certificate Programme-SCCP).

 And so, recognizing this strategic position the Ministry of Education is on its way to ensure that this is realizable within a given time frame. The Bishops’ High School, Queens College, The St. Roses High School, St. Joseph’s High and all the other Secondary Schools and Practical Instructions Center (PICs) are all in alignment of this new vision for TVET which is enshrined in the MoEs’ well-articulated plan. Editor, I respectfully disagree in totality with the position postulated that TVET is for “Dunce” and “Underachievers” and for those who cannot use their hands and brain is a very “dehumanizing” statement, especially in a modern and contemporary society that is rapidly developing, requiring trained, skilled, competitive and a competent labour force to contribute in all aspects of modernization that is currently unfolding, and so TVET is for the minds that are creative, ingenious, bright and smart that will lead interventions/ initiatives that are the yet to be discovered.

In this light, one should look at the Singapore, Dubai, India and China models just to reference a few and recognize how impactful and life- changing those systems are in systematically aiding and /or aligning in the transformation and development of the herein countries, thereby bolstering the thriving and well sustained economies. Guyana, is at the cusp of its developmental trajectories, where there is and will be a significant demand for a cadre of trained and competent skills-based workforce to purposefully contribute to the scaffolding of the emerging, as well as the traditional sectors.

 As such, I categorically debunk this idea that seems to take us back to colonial era. The idea that was callously put forward that the Bishops’ should remain an academic institution is totally out of sync with modern developments, evolving educational systems and practices on the local and global scale and perpetuates a colonial or Eurocentric education model that will keep Guyana in state of colonialism. I do not think so, and this will never happen. The vision is very clear for TVET, the investments are evidently substantial. This I say must be debunked outright with every strain in our bodies and every Ministry and Government sector networking stronger together to ensure such thinking and ideas are not allowed to be in the minds of our Guyanese people, particularly our nation’s children consciously desirous of pursuing the TVET related subjects.

Further, the writer in his seemingly unresearched discourse fails to recognize that the very same idea put forward is in support of the idea he speaks against. Any programme that allows the students or learners to actively engross in using novice tools and equipment and engage in practical hands-on skills are all considered as TVET. I must unequivocally highlight that doctors, nurses and engineers in their professional practice must engage in the handling of tools and equipment in the proper functional execution of their responsibility, which is TVET. TVET is everything, and everything is TVET. And so, Editor, I want to highlight at this juncture to your readers the critical importance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Guyana given the existing significant transformational development currently unfolding. These are as follows, but not limited to:

Ezoic 1. Acquisition of Hands- on Practical Skills: Trainees at the Secondary Schools (The Bishops’) and Post- Secondary (GTI) will gain significant mastery of competencies, thereby improving their skillsets by exposing oneself to direct experience with new technologies, modernized tools and equipment, processes, codes, methodologies in various occupational programmess, hence one will develop substantial job related task oriented skills and competencies that the employers seek. And so, the MOE and by extension the GOG needs TVET type skills persons more than anything in the history of this our beautiful country ever than before, hence the strategic focus of TVET for all our Students at the Bishops’ High School and all our Secondary Schools in this Country.

2. Direct Entry in the Workforce: Trainees/Students from the Bishops’ High School and the Government Technical Institute upon successfully completing their respective CVQ Programmes can gain a direct and seamless entry into the workforce given the acquisition of a skills certification. They can perform a task(s) with precision and accuracy under minimal supervision. Ezoic

3. Upward Mobility- Trainees/Students at the Bishops’ High School and the GTI after successfully completing a CVQ programme can transit smoothly into higher learning institutions given their intended career projection. For example, the GTI, LTI, ETI, NATI, MTVTC, LTVTC, CSHE, UOG to complete higher level skill/ Engineering programmes, which will lead to higher qualification

4. Life- Long Learning: this empowers students/trainees to benefit from continuous skills development, thereby preparing students to navigate evolving cutting- edge technological trends in industries. It fosters one’s resilience and promotes adaptability in a rapidly evolving job market. It makes one marketable and competitive in a given occupational area. Ezoic

5. Earning Potential: one with a skill certificate is in a better position to be gainfully employed. This is what the CVQ Certificate does. It gives an individual an equal opportunity to be gainfully employed in a particular area e.g. Welding, Construction, Crop Production, Aquaculture, Commercial Food Preparation, Electrical Installation etc. so that they can earn substantially. This is the drive of the MOE/GOG, to ensure that every single citizen with a skill certificate must be gainfully employed in the many sectors in Guyana.

And so, it is the MOE’s responsibility to ensure that this is realizable through the acquisition of a CVQ skills certificate, through the full fledge implementation of TVET in all our Secondary Schools/Pics’ PIDS and Post- Secondary TVET Institutions in Guyana. The MoE will continue to ensure that every child acquires a Skills certificate before exiting secondary School. Lastly, the Ministry of Education will continue to ensure that all facilities, workshops/ laboratories required based on Standards are realized, so that our students can access quality, relevance and currency in TVET delivery in every single secondary school in each educational district in this Country. Moreso, the MOE will continue to share and advocate through its many networking mediums the importance of TVET to our citizens, so that every single person can acquire a Skill and make a tangible, purposeful and impactful contribution to Guyana’s rapidly emerging landscape. Ezoic

In conclusion, the MOE/GOG will continue to invest significantly in all fronts to ensure the promotion of Quality TVET in the Education System, since it is recognized as the vehicle to provide person with that plethora of life-long opportunities for one to contribute significantly, meaningfully to development of Guyana and its people, TVET CAN SAVE US! TVET IS ON THE MOVE! Hands-on, Minds- on, Hearts-on Sincerely,