“Making tomorrow better than today”
On the 25th November 2019, The Dominica Technical Vocational Education and Training Council (DTVETC) hosted its inaugural National TVET Symposium with support from the SkYE programme. The theme for the event was “Enhancing Skills Development and Increasing Economic Competitiveness.” The event brought together 130 participants from industry, government, State college, TVET schools and other training providers, employers, youth entrepreneurs, corporate partners and key civil society representatives; to discuss, identify challenges, opportunities and constraints in TVET and to make recommendations for mapping a sustainable future for the TVET sector.
The event’s key note address was given by Dr Valda Henry, CEO of VHF Inc. a consulting firm which provides services including corporate guidance and human resource management and training. Dr Henry highlighted the importance of having a qualified workforce but also a workforce that is a work ready and available.
Other prominent remarks were delivered by Mr.Lester Riviere, TVET Council Chair; Ms. Caesarina Paul Asst. Chief Youth Dev. Officer of the Youth Development Division’s Skills Training Programme; Ms. Natasha Greaves Head of Office of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM); Mr. Abraham Durand SkYE’s Quality & Capacity Building Lead and Mrs. Chandler Hyacinth Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education.
Participants engaged in lively break-away group discussions around the following topics:
- Recommendations for mechanisms to strengthen TVET to industry linkages
- Develop youth skills programmes relevant to the needs of employers
- Developing a recruitment service – creating linkages between job seekers and employers through communications, training and matchmaking for vacancies, internships and part-time attachments.
- Ensuring a sustainable supply of workforce ready labour
- Recommendations to improve TVET in the education sector
Some of the key issues that were raised during the discussions were:
- The necessity for soft skills. Graduates of training programmes lack passion and understanding of real work demands.
- There is a willingness and openness from key stakeholders to contribute financially and otherwise to the training programmes.
- Ensuring a multidimensional approach is taken to realise close collaboration between the schools and the industries in order to meet the needs of both.
- There should be a labour market information surveys to inform key stakeholders of labour demands.
Mrs. Paula Seraphine, the CEO of the DTVET council gave a summary of the key areas presented and promised that DTVET Council will proceed vigorously in pursuing the various recommendations and concerns raised at what she termed as most meaningful and welcoming contributions.
