Global Labour Market Changes Demand TVET Skills

Education officials have called for the mainstreaming of Technical  Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the education system as a means of driving economic development in the region.

Speaking on Wednesday at a three-day International Conference on TVET in the Caribbean in Montego Bay, Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites noted that changes in the global labour market were triggering a resurgent demand of TVET skills and competence.

He said it was, therefore, time that TVET subjects became part of the normal curricula in all secondary schools. In this regard, it was now official policy that by 2016/2017 all grade-11 students must sit at least one technical or vocational subject in an external examination.

According to Professor Ishenkumba Kahwa, deputy principal at the University of the West Indies, Mona, the international job markets are moving away from focusing on traditional professions.

Therefore, in order for Jamaica and other Caribbean countries to produce  sustained economic growth, greater emphasis than hitherto must be placed on training a workforce that is capable of innovatively applying technical and vocational skills in the workplace, he added.

“We are pleased that this conference will provide an integrated staging ground for international experts to discuss new thoughts and ideas that could lead to mainstreaming TVET in the education system and encouraging its engagement in our economy,” Professor Kahwa stated.