VTDI Students Encouraged to Acquire Appropriate Skills

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, is encouraging students at the Vocational Training Development Institute (VTDI), to acquire skills that will enable them to contribute to the development of the country.
“All of us ultimately desire having a set of skills that allow us to be in demand. If you are a plumber, you want to be the best plumber and be in the top ten in the country. You are competing for attention for livelihood, for earnings and you are going to be offered those opportunities, the more you are in touch with the challenges and what exist out there,” Dr. Tufton said.
The Minister was speaking at the VTDI’s Research Day, held today (February 4), on the grounds of the school, located on Gordon Town Road in rural St. Andrew.
Dr. Tufton argued that Research Day gives the students an “opportunity to see what is current and what is topical and it helps you to determine how to upgrade yourselves in order to keep in touch.”

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton (left), looks at a copy of a book entitled ‘Research Methods in Education: An Introduction’ at the Vocational Training Development Institute (VTDI) Research Day, held today (February 4) on the grounds of the school, located on Gordon Town Road, in rural St. Andrew. Looking on (from right are): Principal and Director, VTDI, Mrs. Sonia Bennett-Cunningham; Chairman, VTDI, Mr. Stanley Dunwell; student, VTDI, Ms. Kimean Wray and Library Assistant, VDTI, Ms. Novia Lawrence.

Meanwhile, he emphasised that there is a need to engage in processes, such as the use of technology that will result in a more productive and competitive country. “As part of your quest, you need to be updated on what the technologies are and what is available,” the Minister added.
He further urged the students to upgrade or invent new technologies that will benefit the greater society. “That is a costly exercise, but it is an important exercise. Research and Research Day help us to give thought to how we can create things and in creating things, create new ideas and new processes that can lead to better economic well being,” Dr. Tufton said.
The VTDI is the only tertiary technical and vocational education and training college in the Caribbean, serving the technical vocational education and training system since 1969.
The institute’s programmes are accredited and approved by the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ) or the National Council on Technical Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET).