Georgetown: With increasing demand in Guyana for persons who are certified, competent, and trainable, the Technical, Vocational and Education Training (TVET) Centres are poised to continue providing quality training across Guyana.
At the Ministry of Education, TVET covers those aspects of the education process involving the study of technologies and related sciences and the acquisition of practical skills, and general education. TVET also enables students to cultivate attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupations in various sectors of the economy.
Essentially, the TVET programme was designed to contribute to the attainment of national goals for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, and to meet the changing demand for a skilled workforce. These include: meeting the need for highly skilled craftspersons and technicians through education and training during and after the secondary school level; making education and training opportunities available to all regardless of ethnic origin, sex, scholastic ability, aptitude, or place of residence; help to develop competencies needed for successful transition from school to work with emphasis on leadership skills, personal employability skills and moral worth; ensure that students/trainees acquire the competencies needed for employment or self employment in occupations of their choice and for which there are employment opportunities; promote programmes, which are developed through collaboration with employers; and, provide training or retraining for workers whose skills and technical knowledge must be updated as well as those whose jobs, which might be made redundant due to increasing efficiency, automation, or economic change.
A number of persons have continued on to the University of Guyana and were able to pursue careers in various disciplines including the legal and medical professions.
The Ministry’s focus on developing a well versed workforce speaks to its commitment to Guyans’s human development. The Ministry recognizes that a country with certified and knowledge based workforce is an economy that shows significant growth potential and with links and partnerships with the various sectors and industries, TVET institutions and the formal education system can achieve education and training for sustainable development.
The Ministry through the Council for TVET has been working with counterparts in the Caribbean to implement a certification program which would allow graduates to work in any Caribbean territory through the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ). This certification is based on a rigorous quality assurance guidelines set up by the Caribbean Association of National Training Authorities, which is the technical arm of Caricom. This certification is also internationally benchmarked.
Among the wide range of occupational subjects offered at the TVET Centres include: Plumbing, Light Motor Vehicle, Heavy Duty Operation and Maintenance, Agriculture Machinery, Metal Work Engineering, Fabrication and Welding, Electrical Installation, Carpentry, Furniture making, Commercial Food Preparation, General Cosmetology, Computer & Data Operation, Masonry, Administrative Principles and Practices, Office Administration, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Lands Surveying, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Building Construction, Science, Telecommunication, Arts and Crafts (Fiber Arts, Surface decoration, Leather Craft), Crop and Soil, and garment construction.
TVET programmes currently offered at Centres in Regions 2 (Essequibo Technical Institute); 3 (Leonora Technical Institute); 4 (GTI and Carnegie School of Home Economics); 5 (Mahaicony Technical Institute), 6 (Upper Corentyne Technical Institute and New Amsterdam Technical Instirute); and 10 (Linden Technical Technical Institute). Registration is currently ongoing, and application forms are available at all the Institutes. Anyone 15 years and over, who: may wish to upgrade a current skill or learn a new skill; may not have completed school; or may be working but without a certificate, is eligible.
The Ministry wishes to advise that studying at any TVET Centre is free of cost, nationwide.
You must be logged in to post a comment.