Teachers who administer technical subjects at Secondary schools are this week being trained on how to better impart technical and vocational education to Dominican students.

A one week training which commenced here on Monday at the Conference room of the Windsor Park Stadium is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Education as part of the Caribbean Trade and Competitiveness Project.

Consultants Dunn Pierre Barnet and Associates is collaborating with the Ministry in facilitating the workshop.

Dr. Paulette Dunn Pierre spoke to the Government Information Service (GIS) on Monday about her role in this effort.

“I am here in Dominica to build capacity of TVET practitioners primarily under the Caribbean Trade and Competitiveness project. Part of what we do is to help countries close the gaps so that they can implement the Caribbean Vocational Qualification, (CVQ),” she said.

The consultant said this training forms part of a wider focus to ensure that individuals are adequately skilled across the region.

“Many of you are aware that the CSME has a component which is the movement of skilled labor across the region, but for quite some time we not have not seen much of the capacity building so this project that we are under has been funded by the Canadians and it involves nine countries across the region from Belize through to Suriname. What we do is work with instructors as we are doing here in Dominica to implement the competency based education and training approach to TVET and also to train assessors and verifiers.”

Dr. Dunn Pierre noted further that it’s important that technical teachers are trained in order to administer the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) in an effective way to students.

“What is commendable about Dominica is that they have requested the training of teachers. If you don’t train the teachers to implement the programme then how are you going to assess and certify? They have started the right way. I know they had verifiers and certifiers who were previously trained but this time around they have asked us to deliver the competency based for education and training approach. At the end of this exercise you would have had teachers who are trained to deliver the CVQ in the way that it ought to be, so in about a year or two you should have lots of students accessing the CVQ, the CARICOM Consultant explained.

In 2012 the Ministry of Education began the implementation of the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) programme at all secondary schools.

This programme according to education officials seeks to ensure that students receive technical skill development in various areas thereby making them more prepared to face the regional and global work market.

Dominica’s Education Minister Hon. Petter Saint Jean views the introduction of the CVQ’s at secondary schools as a means of retooling the workforce in Dominica.

“We need to understand that the way forward for us as a nation, as a region is through the development of skills within our people and that there is absolute need for the retooling and retraining of our workforce if they are to survive in the competitive global environment in which we are operating currently.”

Caribbean Vocational Qualification is recognized in CARICOM and the rest of the world and will ensure that students are able to perform in the workplace.

The implementation of the CVQ forms part of the Ministry of Education’s enhancement project.