Establishing vocational centres in communities is priority: St Kitts-Nevis Edu minister

As training and educational opportunities continue to be of significant importance in the Federation, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis remains committed to ensuring that citizens and residents benefit greatly by implementing and expanding on initiatives.

One such initiative is establishing vocational centres in communities throughout St. Kitts and Nevis according to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, the Honourable Shawn Richards.

“What we are also looking at getting are some vocational centres built in St. Kitts and Nevis so that within different communities we have these vocational centres where persons can go and get training,” said Minister Richards. “It is not everybody for example who may want to go to CFBC [Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College]. It is not every individual who may want to go to AVEC [Advanced Vocational Education Centre], but right within the communities where we have particular persons who have already graduated from high school and from CFBC."

Minister Richards noted that the government views training and education as priority even for persons who want to learn a skill or a trade.

“We want to target these individuals because we recognize that some dropped out of school, some want to do a particular skill but don’t have the training. So, we are looking at getting these vocational centres established in different communities where persons can go and get trained,” he said.

The education Minister added that an initiative of this magnitude will add to the Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP).

“It is also going to be an enhancement in terms of the STEP, because we have said in terms of STEP that we want more persons to be trained in particular skilled areas,” he said.

Just recently (July 14) the Governments of St. Kitts and Nevis and the Republic of China (Taiwan) signed an Agreement on Cooperation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The TVET enhancement programme will assist St. Kitts and Nevis with cultivating vocational education teachers, establishing a comprehensive vocational education system, and providing high school graduates with professional skills.