The Caribbean Examiner • Vol 9 • No 1 • May 2011

The Caribbean Examiner
IN TODAY’S GLOBAL SOCIETY, the convergence of factors such as the rapid changes in technology,
regional trade agreements, a highly competitive business environment, constantly changing workplace
competencies, and rising youth unemployment, have implications for how technical and vocational
education and training is designed and delivered. Reforming technical and vocational education and
training (TVET) in the Caribbean at the secondary and post-secondary school levels is necessary for
relevant skills development and for preparing a skilled and competitive workforce.
The 21 st century TVET should provide its
graduates with relevant technical knowledge
and skills, and industry-recognized credentials,
in addition to a certificate or degree. It should
be learning that contributes to the academic
knowledge, higher-order reasoning, problemsolving
skills, positive work attitudes, and
entrepreneurial skills of its graduates, which
can lead to decent work. Decent work refers
to the qualitative and quantitative aspects of
work that allow people to earn their livelihood
in conditions of freedom, equity, security and
human dignity.
The 1990 CARICOM Regional Strategy for
Technical and Vocational Education and Training
(TVET) was developed to provide a cohesive
framework for developing, improving and
coordinating TVET across the region. The policy
document acknowledged the need for actions by
countries to reform their TVET systems. Twenty
years after, not much of a significant reform has
taken place in most countries. The management
and delivery of TVET in the Caribbean however,
cannot continue along the same path if the skills
supply is to match demand. All technical and
vocational training programmes should provide
the scientific knowledge, technical versatility,
be interdisciplinary, include the study of at
least one foreign language; and the integration
of entrepreneurial skills in the curriculum. 1
Therefore, the development of a national policy
to provide a framework to guide each country’s
TVET reform, based on its unique situation, is
critical.
National policy and
legislation for TVET
In the Caribbean, governments have the
primary responsibility for education, including
technical and vocational education. In a new
approach, a partnership between government,
employers and workers and their representative
organizations, professional associations, and the
local community is necessary. This partnership
would create opportunities for dialogue to enable
the development of a national policy and strategy
for reforming TVET. Governments should
provide the leadership and vision and facilitate
the development of national goals and objectives
for TVET, supported by national legislation.
Their initiatives should lead to the development
of a national policy for TVET, which should
provide the basis for strategic planning, and
all TVET reform activities. It should be noted
that the 1990 CARICOM Regional Strategy for
Technical and Vocational Education, now under
review, can provide the necessary guidance for the
development of national TVET policies. Policies
can only be made meaningful if legislation is
enacted to solidify any reform initiative. In the
United States, for example, federal legislation
has played a significant role in shaping TVET
by meeting the needs of students and society.
Legislation has provided for the funding of TVET
beginning with the Morrill Act of 1862 to the
present Carl D. Perkins Act 2006. 2 Between this
period, hundreds of laws have been enacted to
fund, plan and manage technical and vocational
education. For example, the Job Training
Partnership Act of 1982 increased the role of the
private sector in training and employment while
the Carl D. Perkins Act provided for funds to
assist states to expand, improve, modernize, and
develop quality vocational education.
Curricula Reform
For too long, the TVET curricula in the
Caribbean have been criticised as lacking rigour.
Reinventing TVET systems in the Caribbean
must pay particular attention to the curricula,
if graduates of TVET institutions are to attain
the level of performance expected of them in
a constantly changing world of work. Their
learning experiences must be relevant to that
which is required by the labour market. TVET
institutions should constantly seek relevant
labour market data to inform curriculum
decisions, through partnerships with business
and industry. The curriculum must be dynamic,
adjusting to fast-changing technical and scientific
knowledge, and the competitive business
environment. The course content must include
elements to build interpersonal, communication
and computer skills, incorporate teamwork,
1 UNESCO and ILO Recommendations on Technical and Vocational
Education and Training for the Twenty-first Century (2002)
2 Threeton, M.D. 2007. The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act of 2006, and Roles and Responsibilities of CTE
teachers and faculty members. Journal of Industrial Teacher
Education, Vol.44, No1, pp 66-82
3 Gasskov Vladimir (2000) Managing Vocational Training Systems.
A Handbook for Senior Administrators. International Labour
Organization
www.cxc.org MAY 2011 19