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

The Caribbean Examiner
Technical And Vocational Education and Training
schools offering the CSEC syllabuses also
accept the CVQ and NVQ qualifications as
the best form of certification for students
who are not academically inclined. Of the
six tertiary institutions, 100 per cent favour
the CSEC Industrial Technology offerings
as the best form of TVET to prepare the
labour force for the 21st century knowledge
economy. Of the 18 stakeholders, 12, that
is 75 per cent, accept the CSEC Industrial
Technology offerings.
3. Four, or 80 per cent of the five universities
interviewed, recognize CSEC Industrial
Technology offerings for matriculation. The
University of the West Indies, Mona Campus
accepts the CAPE qualification. One
hundred per cent of the respondents in the
secondary school system, parents and other
stakeholders support the continuation of the
CSEC Industrial Technology syllabuses in
schools’ curricula. One secondary school
offering Automotive Technology requested
that the Council considers the inclusion
of the subject in the CSEC Industrial
Technology offerings.
Table 2.
TVET Programmes in Secondary Institutions
4. Of the 22 secondary schools in the sample,
approximately 90 per cent reported
capacity building problems (building, staff,
equipment, tools, and materials). Fortyfive
per cent reported illiteracy problems
in candidates; 50 per cent reported lack
of qualified staff and 16 per cent reported
difficulty in delivering the syllabus.
5. The institutions do not have the productive
capacities to deliver the CSEC Industrial
Technology syllabus. The lack of resources
(materials and human), outdated and
obsolete equipment and tools, scarcity of
resources, and the perception of TVET
correlate positively to low entries, poor
students’ performance and labour force
inefficiencies.
6. Some institutions are using both the CSEC
Industrial Technology syllabus and the NVQ
standards for the award of both certificates.
This creates fragmentation which leads
to replications in curricula, standards,
methods and qualification. These will pose
interaction problems for employers with
the institutions and the national training
systems.
COUNTRY CSEC TECH. INDU. NVQ CVQ
Antigua and Barbuda
Barbados • •
Belize
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Dominica
Grenada
Guyana
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Jamaica • •
Montserrat
St. Kitts and Nevis • •
St. Lucia • • •
St. Vincent and the Grenadines • • •
Trinidad and Tobago • • •
Turks and Caicos
•
•
7. The CSEC Industrial Technology offerings
are the best form of Technical and Vocational
Education and Training to fulfil the
changing relationships between education,
employment and the labour market and to
develop the region’s human capital in the 21st
century. The syllabus is accorded a high level
of status.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Inevitably, the Industrial Technology syllabus
must focus on the continuous provision of
scientific and technical skills in relevant responsive
programmes for the development of a new
generation of human resources, to respond
to regional development priorities and to the
rapidly changing needs of its social and economic
environment. Technical “know how” is no longer
sufficient. Academic and technical education must
be equally integrated in TVET for the achievement
of higher cognitive, psychomotor and affective
skills and competencies to bridge the gap between
“know how” and “know why” hands and mind.
The modern economy requires strong cognitive
development as a foundation for Technical and
Vocational Education and Training.
Based on the conclusions and major findings,
the following recommendations are proposed:
1. That the CSEC Industrial Technology
syllabus, the foundation for the development
of the calibre of engineers, technicians,
technical managers and professionals
required by the current knowledge-based
global economy, be revised with a view to
incorporating higher cognitive, psychomotor
and affective contents, skills and assessments
required for entry-level job and lifelong
learning.
2. That the Council leads a continuous process
of TVET guidance to the ministries of
education, school administrators, teaching
staff and students. This is vital to dispel
the poor image of TVET, to expound its
potential and opportunities for development
and prosperity of societies, to create enabling
environments and to get students of all
abilities to be involved.
3. That the council leads the development of a
demand-driven, flexible, integrated and high
quality Technical and Vocational Education
and Training system relevant to all sectors
of the economy, including all levels and
types of TVET. That it leads the process of
stakeholders’ involvement in all aspects of
planning and policy making.
www.cxc.org MAY 2011 9