Education Ministry to Cover Exam Fees Under CVQ Programme

The Ministry of Education says it will cover examination and registration fees for students who will be assessed in the new subject areas under the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) programme.

This is being done under the Ministry’s Examination Support Programme, and the subjects covered are: Call Contact Centre, Level one; Crop Production, Level One; Food and Drink, Level One; and Motor Vehicle Air Condition Repairs, Level Two.

Launched in 2007 by HEART Trust/NTA and the National Council on Technical Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET), the CVQ provides the qualification for the free movement of artisans and other skilled persons within CARICOM.

The qualification is based on a common approach to training, assessment and certification as agreed by the national training agencies of the region under the supervision of the Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies (CANTA).

Speaking with JIS News, Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Dr. Grace McLean, said training and assessment in these new subjects began in 2013, and students will be assessed and certified by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) for the first time in June 2015.

Assessment is competency based, and over a two-year period students practise skills relating to units/modules in a particular skill area and are assessed on completion of each unit. Assessment of a skill is repeated until the student is deemed competent. No final written examination is administered.

Dr. McLean explained that the new CVQ subjects were introduced to ensure that students exiting the secondary school system are equipped with relevant skills to gain employment in new and emerging industries locally, regionally and internationally; ensure that the Ministry of Education is abreast with current trends in TVET; provide students with attractive and alternate TVET offerings and introduce current and relevant programmes to meet demands of industries.

“All students at the secondary level will have the opportunity to pursue a CVQ programme in the near future,” Dr. McLean said.

She noted that there is continuous upgrading of TVET labs, as well as training programmes to upgrade the skills of teachers in new and emerging programmes which are being introduced incrementally in all secondary schools.

The process of registering is similar to all other examinations administered by CXC. The deadline for registration is February 25.