THE Ministry of Education (MoE) is looking to roll out an aggressive Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme across the country which will include the creation of Practical Instruction Centres (PIC) in Regions One, Seven and Nine.
The rehabilitation and expansion of a number of technical institutes across the country are also expected.
Under the ministry’s $60.7 billion allocation in Budget 2021, over $968 million will be used for various programmes that seek to develop the technical and vocational (tech-voc) sector. Minister of Education Priya Manickchand explained that this was a deliberate move to illustrate the ministry’s emphasised focus on this sector.
“I see great scope for technical and vocational education, not as a cliché but as a place and institution across the country that can prepare young people for employment that will make a huge difference in their life,” the minister commented in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle.
She added: “The world is moving more to a skill- based human resource manpower-driven type economy, so we have to make sure we are ready for that and prepared for it.”

Guyana’s rise over the past few years as an oil and gas economy has highlighted the need for more human resource in the tech-voc area, and has seen a rise in emphasis on TVET. TVET refers to aspects of the educational process involving, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related sciences, and the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupants in various sectors of economic and social life. It involves more skills-based practical aspects as opposed to general theoretic academia in schools.
“I really like for us to refashion and restructure how we have been dealing with TVET, and there are some specific things that we want to do because TVET is extremely important. You will see a very aggressive roll out of TVET in the country,” the minister conveyed.
The MoE has a TVET Unit and a Deputy Chief Education Officer (TVET) that manages the technical institutions under its administration across the country.
These include the Government Technical Institute (GTI), Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC), Linden Technical Institute (LTI), Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI), Mahaicony TVET Centre, and the Upper Corentyne Industrial Training Centre (UCITC). There are also a number of PICs across the country.

In Guyana, TVET is also administered by the Council for TVET which was established in 2004 by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Act of 2004.
The upgrading and expansion of the PICs in Regions One, Seven and Nine, are covered under a $440 million allocation under the “Skills and Development and Employability Project”. This programme also covers work on PICs in Fellowship, Beterverwagting and Hopetown, as well as the training of instructors and a revision of the Tech-Voc curriculum. “Cabinet only recently offered it’s no objection to building Practical Instruction Centres in Region One and Region Nine (at St Ignatius), to buttress the capacity of the high schools there to offer improved access to facilities to the students who are interested in the tech-voc areas in the country,” Manickchand said. Another $360 million is also included in the ministry’s budget for rehabilitation works at a number of the technical institutes. These include works on the LTI, NATI and UCITC. The work at the LTI pertains to construction of the dormitories, which had started in 2018, under a $398.173 million contract awarded to Courtney Benn Construction Services Limited. The government later terminated the contract due to unmet deadlines. The ministry is now hoping to have it completed under another contractor. Additionally, $168 million has been budgeted for the much-anticipated Hospitality and Training institute. The Hospitality Institute is being funded through a collaboration between the Caribbean Development Bank and the Government of Guyana.

The institute is being constructed in response to the growing demand for services in the hospitality sector in Guyana. Once completed, the institute is expected to mimic a mini four-star hotel with provision for fine dining, banquet halls, classrooms and recreational facilities such as a tennis court and swimming pool.
Also, towards the advancing of TVET, the Ministry will be relooking at the implementation of the Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQ) in schools. However, the implementation of the CVQ requires the provision of furniture, equipment, and teaching and learning resources to meet facility standards required.
“We started talking to the CVQ body in 2012 about getting us CVQ ready; you don’t get CVQ unless you have certain facilities in place. CVQ tells organisations that you are qualified to the level of universal Caribbean. This requires some things that have to be in place. It’s been too slow. For me every subject, every institution should have been ready by now,” the minister noted.
CVQ, as it is commonly called, is based on a competency-based approach to training, assessment and certification. Candidates are expected to demonstrate competence in attaining occupational standards developed by practitioners, industry experts and employers. Those standards when approved by CARICOM allow for easy movement across the region. Currently, CVQs are planned to reflect a qualification framework of five levels.