Enhancing capacity in the Caribbean to offer blended TVET.
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) #COL4D, in collaboration with the Caribbean Association for National Training Authorities (CANTA), recently hosted a workshop: Strategies and Action Plans for Building Capacity of TVET Practitioners for Blended TVET Practice. The workshop was held at the Vocational Training Development Institute (VTDI) in Kingston, Jamaica and is part of a series of capacity-building initiatives provided by COL in collaboration with national training authorities and TVET providers. The partnership between COL and CANTA is focused on enhancing the resilience of TVET and strengthening skills development across the Caribbean.
VTDI has a Caribbean regional mandate to prepare TVET practitioners for the TVET system. Twenty-six master trainers and trainers from VTDI who had previously received training with COL's support on blended delivery of competency-based training participated in the workshop. The aim of the workshop was to develop a strategy and an action plan to enhance the capacity and capability of TVET practitioners in the Caribbean region to deliver blended TVET programmes effectively.
Mr Orlando Hewitt, CANTA’s Technical Officer, highlighted the existing gaps in skills training, assessment and certification processes for national and regional vocational qualifications. Dr Phylicia Marshal, Assistant Chief Education Officer, Tertiary Unit, Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Jamaica, and COL’s Focal Point in Jamaica, emphasised that the strategies developed should aim at facilitating trainees to acquire skills to build their lives. Additionally, Dr Delize Williams, Principal and CEO of VTDI, noted that “participants have shared that they not only benefitted from the rich discussions and interactive sessions, but they have also been inspired by the passion and commitment of COL, to advance blended learning in TVET within the Caribbean.”
In the Caribbean region today, key barriers to industry transformation include skills gaps and challenges in attracting talent. In the education sector, vocational education teacher roles are expected to grow by ten per cent, adding three million jobs. Common workforce strategies include investing in learning, on-the-job training, and process automation. Addressing this challenge requires countries to develop the capacity of their TVET institutions and staff to offer training more quickly, more flexibly, and with more diverse competencies.
Mr Robert Okinda, COL’s Adviser: Skills, remarked that capability building of pre-service and in-service trainers in both the formal and informal sectors for blended delivery of competency-based training and assessments is crucial for transforming TVET to address current and future skills demands.
#BlendedLearning #TVET #CaribbeanEducation #SkillsDevelopment #CANTA #CapacityBuilding #VocationalTraining #EducationInnovation #WorkforceDevelopment
Link to news: www.col.org/news/enhancing-capacity-in-the-caribbean-to-offer-blended-tvet/
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#OpenEducationAlert from @COL4D
The Eleventh Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning #PCF11 takes place in Gaborone, Botswana, from 10 to 12 September 2025.
The deadline for submission of abstracts and proposals is 30 January 2025.
Details: pcf11.org
#openeducation #cfp #register
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COL’s Empowering Women and Girls project sparks girls' return to schooling in Malawi.
#COL4D’s Empowering Women and Girls (EWG) @EWG_23 project Concerned Youth Organization (CYO) is making a life-changing impact in the Mapanga community in #Malawi.
Now back in class, reigniting their dreams and determination to succeed, 50 students (31 girls, 19 boys) have returned to school who were previously not in education, employment, or training (NEET). COL and CYO are also addressing key challenges like early pregnancies, financial struggles, and cultural barriers with the help of parents, traditional leaders, and the community.
The catalyst for transformation was through the project activities implemented in the area, where students and those who dropped out shared their stories of struggle and hardship. Among them was Ellen Banda, an 18-year-old girl from Group Village Head Mtenje, who had to halt her education in Form 2 due to a lack of tuition fees and family responsibilities to take care of the siblings following the passing of both her parents.
Ellen expressed her desire to resume schooling: "I had to stop going to school to take care of my siblings. Your support is a tremendous motivation for me to continue my education."
Stories like Ellen Banda's show the power of education and support to transform lives. The project, funded by Global Affairs Canada @GAC_Corporate, not only provides essential learning materials but also brings educational hope and empowerment to the youth of Mapanga.
#EducationForAll #Empowerment #CYOMalawi #GlobalAffairsCanada
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