TVET Policy Review: Saint Lucia; 2017
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Education Sector United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization kills development through technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is widely seen as a key to reducing poverty and unemployment and for advancing sustainable development. S This TVET policy review was undertaken in response to an official request from Saint Lucia for technical assistance towards the development of a national TVET policy. It involved extensive consultations and the analysis of education and labour market to highlight critical issues and to inform the TVET policy development process. The review examines the changing socio-economic context of Saint Lucia and priorities for sustainable growth and development. It gives particular attention to access and participation, equity and social inclusion and the governance, coordination and financing of TVET and identifies a set of policy considerations These call for a strategic vision of TVET and adequate investment to generate the higher levels of participation needed to develop a more robust labour force and for international competitiveness. Attention to the governance, provision and improvement of TVET in response to the needs of employers, individuals and society is required. Partnerships between TVET providers and employers, community groups and other TVET non-governmental organizations should be developed. TVET should be redefined so that it is seen as being of benefit to all learners for the development of skills for the world of work, including critical thinking, Policy Review problem-solving, adaptability and team-work. For TVET to optimise its contributions to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development it should be repositioned as an inter-sectoral policy area, central to human development. Saint Lucia TVET Policy Review Saint Lucia Ministry of Education with UNESCO Published in 2017 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France © UNESCO 2017 This publication is available in Open Access under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-SA 3.0 IGO) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/). By using the content of this publication, the users accept to be bound by the terms of use of the UNESCO Open Access Repository (http://www.unesco.org/open-access/terms-use-ccbysa-en). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors; they are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. Cover photos: © Joshua Vernor Graphic design, cover design, illustrations: UNESCO Typeset and printed by UNESCO Printed in France ED-2016/WS/23 Foreword This Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Policy Review document provides a framework for the future improvement and coordination of TVET development in Saint Lucia. During the review process, emphasis was placed on the important linkages that exist between the education sector and other vital sectors for social and economic development. The process served to reflect on the recognition that human resource development and skills acquisition are critical elements in the process, and in the advancement and sustainability of economic growth and development in Saint Lucia. The Policy Review outcomes were developed in consultation with key stakeholders in education, industry and other critical sectors for TVET. The Saint Lucia Council for TVET (SLCTVET) is extremely grateful to the writers, stakeholder groups and other technical officers for their inputs and invaluable contributions to this draft document, which seeks to engender a change in approach and attitude to TVET and skills development in Saint Lucia. The TVET Policy Review exercise has identified essential policy considerations which will form the basis for further development of the National TVET Policy. It is expected that this document will serve to strengthen the four main pillars of the TVET system – governance, access, quality and financing. It is envisaged that a National TVET Policy will ensure effective coordination in the provision of quality TVET in Saint Lucia. The support of the Ministry of Education, as well as the financial and technical support provided by UNESCO’s Participation Programme and UNESCO’s Education Sector, have been of immense value in ensuring the realization of a long-awaited vision for TVET in Saint Lucia. The SLCTVET wishes to express its sincere gratitude to these entities. The overall enhancement of the human resource capability is of critical importance in our efforts to provide a system of more technologically enabled TVET while meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century and beyond. It is, therefore, with considerable optimism that I look forward to the continued development and improvement of TVET in Saint Lucia. Estellita René Chair, Saint Lucia Council for TVET Saint Lucia 3 Acknowledgements This TVET Policy Review is the result of sustained collaboration between numerous experts. It was a country-led process made possible with financial support from UNESCO’s Participation Programme. The policy review writing team comprised members of the Saint Lucia Council for TVET and officials of the Ministry of Education including Ms Marietta Edwards, Ms Estellita René, Ms Nathalie Elliott, Mr Colvis Samuels and Ms Ann Jean Baptiste. Their work was informed by consultations conducted with many organisations and individuals, and thanks are due to the participants in the validation meeting held in Castries on 29 July 2015. A UNESCO expert team comprising of Dr Keith Holmes, Dr Lucy Steward and Dr Reynold Simons conducted interviews, facilitated group discussions and provided technical inputs, analysis and support to the writing team throughout the process. The report was copy-edited by Ms Susan Curran. We are grateful to the many individuals who provided helpful comments and insights. Thanks also to the many institutions and government bodies who provided information and data for this review. These include, among others, the Central Statistical Office, Invest Saint Lucia, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Tourism, the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, the National Enrichment and Learning Unit, the National Skills Development Centre, the National Youth Council and Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. Beyond Saint Lucia, we acknowledge the information provided by Secretariats of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and CARICOM, the Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies, the Caribbean Development Bank, Colleges and Institutes Canada, the International Labour Organization and the University of the West Indies. Special thanks are due to Ms Nathalie Elliott, Ms Estellita René, Chair of the Saint Lucia Council for TVET, Ms Esther Braithwaite, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Ms Marietta Edwards, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Mr Marcus Edward, Chief Education Officer, Mr Colvis Samuels, TVET Officer, Ms Marcia Symphorien, Secretary General of the National Commission for UNESCO and Mr Robert Parua, Education Programme Specialist, UNESCO Kingston. 4 Table of Contents Foreword 3 Acknowledgements 4 List of Figures 7 List of Tables 8 List of Acronyms 9 Executive Summary 11 Introduction 15 Chapter 1 The Context of Saint Lucia 17 1.1 Overview and Culture ...............................................................................................................17 1.2 Governance ..............................................................................................................................18 1.3 Economic Context ....................................................................................................................19 1.4 Social Context ..........................................................................................................................23 1.5 Poverty ....................................................................................................................................26 1.6 The Labour Market ...................................................................................................................28 Chapter 2 The Education and Training System and Governance of TVET 43 2.1 The Policy Context ...................................................................................................................43 2.2 Technical and Vocational Education and Training ....................................................................46 2.3 Integration of TVET into General Education .............................................................................48 2.4 Governance of TVET ................................................................................................................49 2.5 Summary ..................................................................................................................................51 Chapter 3 Financing of TVET: Resources, Needs and Opportunities 53 3.1 Financing Resources ...............................................................................................................53 3.2 Recent Trends in TVET Expenditure and Funding....................................................................54