Keril Wright, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU -
SCHOOl LEAVERS attached to the HEART Trust SL-TOPS training programme are now eligible for certification which allows them to work in any Commonwealth country.
According to Hope Barnett, director of the School Leavers Training Opportunities and Apprenticeship Board (SL-TOPS), the HEART Trust has added a new component to the programme, in collaboration with the National Council on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET).
"We have just now brought in this new component," Ms. Barnett said. "As long as the trainees fulfill all the requirements they can now be certified by NCTVET."
Ms. Barnett explained that school leavers with a minimum of two Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) or General Certificates of Education (GCE) subjects are placed on job training for a minimum of one year. At the end of the training period, the participants are presented with a record of achievement. Under the new system, they can now receive further, more significant, certification through NCTVET.
"Youngsters who want to receive this accreditation are encouraged to do so by applying through their workplaces. We will go to the workplace and do the assessment alongside their supervisors," said NCTVET Director Paulette Dunn-Smith.
Three levels
At present, there are three levels of certification. To be registered at any of these levels, Ms. Barnett explains that trainees need to have the minimum of two subjects. If they don't, she said, they are encouraged to take classes to improve their qualifications.
Level one requires a minimum of six months on the job, 18-months for level two and three years to be certified at level three.
"We are now working in collaboration with the University of Technology (UTECH) in the development of standards for level four," explains Jennifer Walker, NCTVET manager of assessment and certification.
Mrs. Dunn-Smith explained that this certification is recognized in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and other eastern Caribbean countries.
"The organisation is also a member of the Association of Commonwealth Examinations and Accreditation Bodies so the certificates are also recognized in over 60 Commonwealth countries wrldwide," she said.
Improving quality
At present, there is an average of 2,000 school leavers on the SL-TOPS programme at any one time.
The NCTVET programme, which began in 1994, is aimed at improving the quality of the labour force through accreditation of training programmes and institutions and the certification of individual competence.
The workplace certification, through which SL-TOPS participants can receive their accreditation, began in 1996. NCTVET works alongside company managers and supervisors to assess the competence of persons while they are on the job.
Mrs. Dunn-Smith explained that over 3,000 persons are certified each year in over 30 skill areas. She noted that areas such as cosmetology, hospitality, information technology and construction are the main areas.
"We find that many of the trainees and skilled persons are employed in these areas and so we have worked on the standardization for them. We are presently doing a lot of work on standardizing others areas which are not so popular," Mrs. Dunn-Smith said.
The majority of individuals who become certified each year are self-employed skilled persons who operate without certification as well as employees who have worked in particular fields for years without formal certification.
