Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter

Starting this June, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states will be awarding new regional certification for persons in the vocational areas in order to facilitate the free movement of skills in the Caribbean and the world.

The certificate - the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) - was approved by the Council for Human and Social Development (CHSOD) in October last year and is being implemented one year before the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) comes into being.

The Regional Coordinating Mechanism for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (RCMTVET) is currently hammering out details on how the certification will be implemented, at a two-day meeting in Kingston.

Myrna Bernard, director of human resource development at the CARICOM Secretariat, said the heads of government recognised that a large segment of the workforce in the Caribbean was from the artisans category, and as such it was necessary to standardise their credentials with regional certification.

"... We thought that the time had come for a Caribbean vocational certification," she said.

Fazal Karim, chairman of the Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies, said the CVQ presents an opportunity for persons who are skilled, but uncertified.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com