Cabinet has approved a new policy aimed at giving students and graduates more workplace experience before entering the job market.
In an exclusive interview with TTT News on Thursday, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, Prakash Persad, noted that the initiative is designed to better prepare students for the world of work while addressing industry demands for practical skills.
He said the Apprenticeship Policy will allow students pursuing technical and vocational qualifications to work in the industry while completing their studies.
“We just recently got approved by Cabinet an Apprenticeship Policy, where people, skilled students, can be apprenticed, work in the industry whilst they’re doing the diplomas, etc. We want to do the same at the university level. You look at doctors, for instance, you do the MBBS, but then you need to do internship before you can work in the hospital. So we want all graduates to actually have some degree of internship training before they go into the industry.”
Minister Persad also said the apprenticeship programme is expected to modernise skills training by creating nationally recognised qualifications.
“The Apprenticeship Programme, we they work in industry, and we have we are recommending that the National Trade Agency replace the Board of Industrial Training. So all apprenticeships would be recognised. And furthermore, not only recognise it here, but recognised in the Caribbean and elsewhere. And what we’re also looking at for this sort of apprenticeship, whether you’re electrical or mechanical or whatever field, like plumbing, whatever, that we want to recognise the certificates.”
He said discussions are also underway to establish a national register for skilled trades and technical professionals. This will allow employers to verify workers’ qualifications and professional standards.
“What we’re trying to do then is have a how you have a register, medical consulate, register specialist doctors, dentists are the same thing, nurses have the same thing. We’re saying technicians, massage therapists, everybody should have the same thing. You should know who you’re going to hire, where they got their qualifications from, are they up to standard? So this is something we’re discussing right now with the stakeholders to have that put in place. So the apprenticeship system forms a critical part of that for trading and certification of skills training.”
Minister Persad says the apprenticeship system will form a key part of the Government’s broader strategy to improve skills training, certification and graduate employability.