Helen Royer, Director of Human Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, described the launch of the Online Instructor and Monitor Training Courses, which are part of the Digitalisation of the Community’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Delivery Project, as “a significant milestone in our shared commitment to improving the Caribbean TVET ecosystem.”
Ms Royer highlighted this during the launch of the courses in February, emphasising the importance of digitalisation:
“The transition to a digital approach in Technical and Vocational Education and Training goes beyond the simple adoption of new technologies. It represents the active operationalisation of the CARICOM Human Resource Development 2030 Strategy.”
The Director underscored the importance of instructors and monitors, describing them as the driving force behind the Region’s digital transformation in TVET. She explained that these professionals would serve as catalysts, turning the vision of digitalisation into reality by embedding new approaches directly into classrooms, workshops, and training centres across the Caribbean.
She also pointed to lessons from Brazil’s TVET success, noting,
“Superior student outcomes in online and distance education are associated with the strategic inclusion of monitors to bolster the learning process. These monitors not only provide pedagogical and technological support but also play a crucial role in motivating students, thereby contributing to retention, engagement, and overall success.”
Speaking directly to the participants, Ms Royer urged them to fully engage:
“Your leadership and expertise will be paramount in sustaining the momentum of this project, ensuring that our digital transition in TVET is both impactful and sustainable.”
The Digitalisation of TVET Delivery Project aims to establish a regional digital platform that will revolutionise how Caribbean citizens access skills-based training for specific trades and professions. By digitising TVET content, skills training will be more accessible, relevant, and aligned with the demands of today’s job market.
Four CARICOM Member States (Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago) have embarked on a transformative journey to modernise Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) through the pilot phase of the Digitalisation of TVET Delivery Project.
This initiative is part of a Trilateral Technical Cooperation involving the CARICOM Secretariat, Brazil (via the Brazilian Cooperation Agency – ABC), the European Union (EU), and Germany through the German Cooperation for Sustainable Development – GIZ.
About the Pilot Project
The CARICOM Secretariat, in collaboration with the Caribbean Association of National Training Authorities (CANTA), developed the Digitalisation of TVET Delivery project in November 2022 in response to the Call for Proposals from the Trilateral Technical Cooperation between Brazil, the European Union (EU) and Germany. Subsequently, the HRD Programme of the CARICOM Secretariat secured €700,000 in technical support from the Trilateral Technical Cooperation to implement the project in CANTA Member States.
The Brazilian National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI), a non-profit organisation considered one of the largest TVET institutions in the world, is a project partner and will lead the process of converting traditional TVET offerings to online programmes.
The Operational Planning Phase was initiated through a series of virtual project-refining meetings with the CARICOM Secretariat, CANTA, SENAI, the Brazilian Cooperation Agency – ABC, and the German Cooperation for Sustainable Development – GIZ, and one face-to-face workshop convened in Brasilia, Brazil, from 26 to 30 June 2023.
Read more about the pilot here: https://caricom.org/four-caricom-countries-in-pilot-project-to-improve-access-to-technical-and-vocational-education-and-training-tvet/
