BARBADOS IS gearing up to bring back the gold in the WorldSkills Americas competition this year.
After earning a silver in hairdressing last year, executive director of the Technical & Vocational Education & Training (TVET) council Henderson Eastmond said they were ready to go one up on that feat.
“We want to improve the standards and technical and vocational training in this country as well as promote and expand it to other skill areas. Last November we went to Brazil and brought back silver and we are looking for a few golds this year and we are also looking to go to WorldSkills International within five years,” he said.
Eastmond was speaking before the start of a motorcade from Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic (SJPP) to promote the WorldSkills Barbados competition and show some of the contestants. The competition, under the theme Shaping Our World Class Workforce Through Innovation, Creativity and Skills Development involves five areas: culinary arts, beauty therapy, automotive technology, garment making and ladies and men’s hairdressing.
Each segment, save culinary arts, will take place at the SJPP from March 12-14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. while culinary arts will take place in the Dining Club on March 15 from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. There are 20 students involved plus five reserves.
Minister of Labour and Human Resource Development, Senator Dr Esther Byer Suckoo, called it a skills Olympics adding it brought out the best in the participants. She said it meant a lot to them and it also validated TVET.
“It is not just about academia and a university degree as TVET is where a lot of our workforce is at and we need to improve their skills and attitudes as well,” she said.
Manager of the competency- based training fund, Anderson Lowe said they were partnering with the council to fund the development of TVET and work with training institutions to develop critical skills for the future while focusing on hospitality, renewable energy and creative industries to offer skills worldwide backed by national and Caribbean vocational qualifications.
The motorcade left the polytechnic and travelled to Wildey and Newton, on the way to Heroes Square.
(CA)