‘LET’S WORK TOGETHER’

Director of Training, Henderson Thompson, assures that the Barbados Vocational Training Board (BVTB) will further train persons for productivity in an attempt to aid the manufacturing sector of the Barbadian economy.

Thompson’s comment came as he delivered a report during the BVTB’s graduation ceremony that was held at the Lester Vaughan Secondary School recently.

“We need to be the institution helping the manufacturing sector in this country; we want to see more ‘Made in Barbados’ and even more ‘Produced in Barbados’,” he said.

“We want business and industry to work together with us as we seek to reduce our country’s import and build back our foreign exchange earnings and increase our foreign exchange reserves. We will work even harder to collaborate with the construction sector and the service sectors of tourism and hospitality. This collaboration is
one of the best ways in which we can help to create the cultural shift in our country to fully embrace the relevance and contribution of a vocational education as an essential human capital development.”

The Director went on to note that their involvement with the Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQs) has helped them to further enhance the quality of what they do in important ways. He revealed that the BVTB had produced over 328 graduands and added that the Board’s projects continued to grow each year.

“In 2014 we had five projects, in 2015 we had 54 projects, in 2016 we had 118 projects and now in 2017, to date and counting, we have 151 projects,” he said.
Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Senator the hon. Esther Byer-Suckoo expressed that she was completely heartened by the growth of the BVTB as they continued to hole to their mandate where they would continue to train persons.

“The graduation that was held earlier this year presented 180 persons with CVQs; this evening, we are here to celebrate the achievements of 221 persons following successful completion of various courses in the three modalities of training; skills training, the evening programme and the apprenticeship programme,” she said.
“Your specific trade certification assumes greater significance as it is now being awarded by a registered institution.”