Gone are the days when technical and vocational education was considered

as not that important and reserved mainly for those students who were considered to be “dunces” or not academically inclined.
The reality today is that technical education is assuming a greater role in economic development.
In fact, it is now an imperative and arguably plays an equal role to that of academic education, as skilled labour is increasingly in demand because of rapid global industrialisation.

In a paper based on a study in Malaysia, titled:  “The Role of Vocational Education in Economic Development in Malaysia: Educators’ and Employers’ Perspectives” , Professors Ramlee B. Mustapha of the National University of Malaysia and James P. Greenan of Purdue University, Indiana made the following assertion:
“Ever since the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century, progress and prosperity have been closely identified with  economic development. The economic competitiveness of a country depends on the skills of its work force. The skills and competencies of the work force, in turn, are dependent upon the quality of the country’s education and training systems.
“Vocational education is perceived as one of the crucial elements in enhancing economic productivity.  Based on Social Efficiency Theory, schools should prepare and supply future workers with appropriate knowledge and skills to enhance their productivity and, therefore, promote economic growth.”
They also noted that: “The results reveal that educators and employers believed that vocational education and training contributed to the economic development of Malaysia. In addition, educators and employers believed that a substantial financial investment in vocational education and training is justified. Further, they believed that vocational programmes were more appropriate than academic programmes for developing new skills and the ability to use contemporary technologies. This implies that the government and private sector should invest in vocational education and training in Malaysia.”
In addition, Professors Mustapha and Greenan noted that educators and employers in Malaysia believed that those who completed vocational programmes had better employment opportunities than those who completed academic programmes.
Against this backdrop, it is encouraging to see that our government, through the Ministry of Education, is placing increasing focus and emphasis on technical education.
In this regard, the Ministry of Education is undertaking a comprehensive reform of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sub-sector as part of a wider strategy to provide the skilled labour necessary to drive the economy.
This reform process is being spearheaded by a current workshop involving key stakeholders to develop a National TVET Strategic and Action Plan 2013 –2020 for Guyana, based on national priorities for economic development, competitiveness and productivity enhancement.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop on Monday, Education Minister Ms. Priya Manickchand, made some very pertinent disclosures when she said her ministry recognised that there’s a need for a more proactive approach in the area of technical and vocational education, and as a result they have built institutions and signed on to the programme for doing TVET.
The minister implored that they have a practical approach to the development of this strategy, by not only having discussions on great ideals and philosophical approaches, but by placing these in the local context.
With respect to the latter, the minister was spot on target because too often strategic plans are based on the experiences of other countries, which are totally irrelevant to the Guyanese reality and, as such, become impractical and therefore do not serve their intended goals and objectives,
So it is hoped that the stakeholders would follow the exhortation by Minister Manickchand  in formulating the TVET strategic plan.