RECIPIENTS INCLUDED EMPLOYEES OF THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND SPORTS, TEACHERS, INDIVIDUALS FROM PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANISATIONS, AND PARTICIPANTS OF THE CDEMA SAFER BUILDING PROGRAMME.
The Saint Lucia Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (SLCTVET) graduated 90 trainees from various Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) programmes on Friday, 29 August at the Financial Administrative Centre in Castries. The ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Ministry for Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, the Board of Directors of SLCTVET, training institutions, and the private sector.
Certificates were issued to individuals who successfully completed their training in Competency Based Education and Training (CBET). Recipients of CBET certification included employees of the Ministry of Youth Development & Sports, teachers and individuals from private sector organisations. Also included were 21 participants in the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Safer Building Programme.
For the very first time, the graduation recognised persons certified through the assessment of prior learning (APL) stream in five (5) occupational areas. These occupational areas are massage therapy L4, cake baking and decorating L2, hair braiding and weaving L2, general construction L2, and food preparation and cookery L2. Also counted among the recipients of certificates are the eight (8) graduates of the Heavy Equipment Academy (HEA) who received National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) L2 certification in excavator operations.
The graduation ceremony was held under the theme Skilful Steps Towards Achieving Success, with recipients of CBET, CVQ, and NVQ certificates also awarded certificates of participation, having completed their course of training and assessment in their respective fields, with emphasis on the ability to demonstrate the relevant competencies in their chosen occupations, or the ability to provide TVET training in real-world settings.
Keynote speaker Dr. Delthia Naitram, Education Officer with responsibility for TVET, noted the importance of the occasion.
“When I read this theme, what came to mind was the word purposeful, the word deliberate. And for a long time we have accepted that education is useful. We got certified. We have a lot of traditional qualifications and we kind of got accustomed to it. It's like that old comfortable pair of jeans that you have,” she said.
“But we realize that education needs to be more purposeful. We need to be more deliberate in the design of education and we are happy to see that TVET offers that sense of purpose and that deliberate design of learning.”
Several of the graduates delivered testimonials, as did industry professionals to whom TVET students had been assigned during the training period. Mr. Perry Thomas, Executive Director of SLCVTET, spoke to the increasing value of TVET education, and the way in which the structures upholding it are being reinforced.
“TVET's prominent role with regard to social inclusion is likely to gain ever greater importance well into the future for Saint Lucia. As we work towards changing the TVET landscape, working to craft a responsive system, rest assured that the TVET delivery system is being strengthened to ensure that it adapts to the needs of our labour market,” he said.
“In celebrating your achievements, I ask that you find meaningful ways to acknowledge what you have achieved. Reflect on your journey and the hard work you have put in. It will strengthen your motivation and build resilience for achieving or setting future goals. Ladies and gentlemen, we celebrate with you the graduates today, as celebration is a crucial practice for personal development.”