Vocational education is high priority
It’s called the Technical Vocational Education Training Project–TVET for short–and while this aspect of our educational system doesn’t always grab the headlines, it is becoming a big part of life for a growing number of Belizeans. News 5’s Janelle Chanona has more.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
For the past two days, more than sixty Belizean teachers from technical high schools and Centres for Employment Training have participated in courses in technical and vocational education.
Stansmore Bowman, Director, TVET Project Unit
“We basically have had an academic education system for a number of years, but today we’re finding out that in order to be globally competitive, we have to be very skilful. But we are not saying that the academics are not important, because in most countries, a strong general education is usually necessary for successful TVET system; so they are integrated and they work hand in hand.”
Students and employers working side by side is just one program in the pipeline. According to Policy and Planning Specialist, Arthur Shears, on the job training will produce a skilled tradesman.
Arthur Shears, Policy and Planning Specialist
“They’ll be working with the employer; they’ll be learning skills while they’re doing the work and they’ll also be an employee. So an important part, a new concept to Belize is that the apprentice will actually be paid, he’ll be on salary. Now starting off he’s not going to make what a fully qualified person will make, but he’ll get a portion of that. As he gets more experience, he’ll get slightly more money, slightly more money until in his last year he should be close to what a fully qualified person would get.”
The apprentice programs will vary in length from two to four years depending on the trade. And upon completion, participants will receive a Journeyman’s Ticket, accrediting their technical expertise.
Cecil Reneau
“This is a fully funded project by the Government of Belize. It is a very ambitious project. It is the largest education project to date, in excess of forty million Belize dollars. And certainly one of the outputs will be the legislation that is geared specifically for the further development of TVET in this country.”
All this is good news for technical and vocational instructors from around the country.
Mike Vernon, CET, Toledo
“The first year was sort of hesitant because they all thought that the CET system was going to act solely as a buffer zone for school dropouts, people off the streets who probably don’t have access to school or education.”
According to Vernon, for economically challenged communities in particular, CET offers a positive choice.
Mike Vernon
“It has become a popular option. We started out the first year with a hundred and thirty-seven trainees. We didn’t have enough facilities to accommodate all. Due to Hurricane Iris the second year there was a huge economic downturn that side so the population fell. But we are back in our third year with a number of sixty-three students with one outreach program which is the agro-processing program, which we do the courses in the villages.”
According to project coordinators, the apprentice program will start in September 2003. Reporting for News 5, I am Janelle Chanona.
As part of the enhancement of the Technical and Vocational Unit, existing facilities will be refurbished and new ones constructed.
