Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training Professor Prakash Persad is stressing the importance of skills training in Trinidad and Tobago.
Speaking during the Prior Learning & Assessment Completion Ceremony on Wednesday evening at the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, he said skills training is needed in almost every sector.
“You are examined by what you can do, the skill. Do you think Nicholas Pooran, who is a, I presume, a multi-millionaire? Because he’s skilled and the world has changed, the world has changed. Now, there is the opportunity for training and skills training to help everybody.”
The Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition programme validates and recognises the skills, knowledge and competencies persons have gained through various learning experiences. A total of 124 participants graduated from this phase of the programme on Wednesday.
Minister Persad said discussions have started on the voluntary registration of skilled people in the country.
“Once we do that, we give them some sort of status, professional status, and employers will know that these people are worthwhile, they are competent because right now, I mean, I understand the need for certification. We need that so somebody would know what you have done and this is an excellent thing that is happening here. So that is something that is going to give greater status and make more impact for technicians, craftsmen, skilled people across the board.”
The Minister explained that this initiative will be for everyone.
“I will speaking to not only engineers, we speaking to massage therapists, cosmetologists, nail technicians.”