Through the collaborative efforts of eight Caribbean nations, Trinidad and Tobago will host a Regional Workshop focused on Designing Courseware for Blended Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Practices.
According to Chief Executive Officer of the National Training Agency (NTA) and Vice Chair of the Caribbean Association of National Training Authorities (CANTA), Dr. Patrice Parris Searles, this workshop allows for contributions toward formulating a standardised approach to blended learning in TVET, ensuring persons can access high-quality education and training programmes regardless of their location.
“We understand that for many persons out there, the education that they get, whether it is formal, non-formal or informal, makes the difference in feeding their families, in employability, in moving and navigating the workforce.”
According to Chairman of the NTA, Dr. Ruby Alleyne, there is a significant difference between online and blended learning, and emphasised the need for a shift to occur from emergency remote teaching to the formulation of a true and sustainable blended approach.
“The danger in that is that we have continued in many institutions in that emergency remote teaching mood, without the appropriate capacity building, without going back to the curriculum to ensure that the curriculum is designed for blended and online delivery, to ensure that the assessment procedures and mechanisms maintain the integrity of the educational process, and to ensure that our students are in fact engaging in, and benefiting from the learning experience as it is intended to.”
Acting Permanent Secretary of Education, Gwyneth Morris-Alexander, said the workshop will revitalise Technical and Vocational education in the Caribbean.
“Our task here is to ensure that the course where being developed aligned to the regional qualifications framework, as well as best global practices. This workshop represents a space for collaboration where ideas can be refined, peer reviewed, and moulded into resources that embody the highest quality for learners at every stage.”
The workshop will be held from December 2nd to the 6th and brings together key TVET stakeholders from islands across the region including Barbados, St. Kitts, Jamaica, Guyana, Belize, Grenada, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.