– Sooknanan urges TVET leaders to keep pace with global standards

As the 9th Council for Technical Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) prepares to demit office at the end of August, the body’s chairman, Elon Sooknanan is calling for stronger leadership, continuous professional development and closer adherence to international standards to maintain the level of progress attained in Guyana’s technical education sector.
The Council, which has been in office since September 2024, will complete its statutory term of office on 31 August 2026 after overseeing a number of initiatives aimed at improving certification, increasing technical training in schools and improving the quality of TVET institutions.
Sooknanan, who is also the EPA’s Head of Public Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism, said the work of the Council has been crucial to addressing several long-standing challenges, while building a stronger foundation for the country’s skills training system.
One of the most pressing problems taken up during the Council’s term was the backlog of certificates due to graduates of technical training programs.
Over 3,000 excellent certificates were verified and cleared and a further 2,000 new certificates were verified and certified in 6 regions and 24 study areas, Levels 1-3.
For graduates, the certification process is more than an administrative hurdle. Recognized credentials can determine access to employment, further training and opportunity to progress in their chosen fields.
The Council also discussed the possibility of introducing technical skills into the education system at an earlier stage. It inspected and certified 86 secondary schools facilitating Level 1 TVET training in 26 courses countrywide.
Simultaneously, 225 assessors were trained and certified in Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET), in support of efforts to align Guyana’s assessment standards to the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) framework.
Post-secondary institutions, too, felt the demand for better quality assurance. Twenty-five training centers and institutes in six regions were inspected and recertified including the Guyana Technical Training College Inc. (GTTCI) at Port Mourant, Berbice.
The Council also gave guidance to a consultant who is working on the implementation of an ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System for CTVET under a World Bank project. The programme aims to strengthen institutional accountability and service delivery.
Sooknanan said that strengthening TVET system also meant meaningful cooperation between training institutions and the private sector.
During its term the Council collaborated with companies and organizations including ExxonMobil, Learn Corp Inc. and the Greater Guyana Initiative. It also participated in regional and international initiatives, including activities with the Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies (CANTA) and the SAGE (Skills to Access the Green Economy) initiative.
With the expansion of Guyana’s economy and the need for employers to have workers with specialized technical skills, these relationships are becoming more important.
But Sooknanan believes the quality of leadership in the sector will be very important in the next phase of development.
He warned against reliance on what he called “adopted customs and practices” when these are not in accordance with the laid down procedures and standards of the Council and Ministry of Education.
Sooknanan said leaders of technical institutions must be aware of what is happening internationally in terms of trends, standards and best practices.
He also emphasized the need for continuous professional training and development, stating that institutional leaders should be aware of developments to be able to manage an evolving TVET system.
“Monitoring and evaluation needs to become routine in the work of the sector,” he said. “It is needed to ensure that institutions are in line with strategic objectives and are held to account for their performance.”
The chairman was shared his insight with this publication as the 10th CTVET Council is due to assume office later this year after taking over a sector that has seen major investment and institutional development over the past two years.
Sooknanan said the challenge for the incoming Council was not to keep existing systems but to continue to modernize them.
Among key priorities identified are stronger leadership development, faster digital transformation, regular monitoring and evaluation and strict compliance with international standards in health, safety and environment.
The larger objective is to provide TVET graduates with practical, recognized and relevant skills to satisfy the needs of Guyana’s burgeoning economy.
With employers in many sectors looking for more skilled workers, the performance of the TVET system will directly affect young people looking for jobs, businesses looking for qualified workers and economic development more generally for the country.
As the 9th Council closes its chapter, Sooknanan’s message is that the gains made must be a platform for further reform, not an end point.
The incoming Council will thus be expected to build on the work already done while grappling with the institutional and leadership challenges that will determine how effectively Guyana converts its growing demand for skilled labor into sustainable opportunities for its people.