To ensure that all citizens of Guyana, regardless of age, race or creed, physical or mental disability, are given the best possible opportunity to achieve their full potential through equal access to quality education as defined by the standards and norms outlined by the Ministry of Education.

The TVET institutions are committed to offer education and training to youths and adults in technical, commercial and scientific fields relevant to the needs of the national economy. In addition, the TVET institutions have a responsibility to collaborate with industry and commerce in the planning of programmes which will facilitate the acquisition of appropriate knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary for the development of self and the nation.

The depression experienced in the 1980s impacted adversely on the TVET system. The shortage of training facilities such as hand tools, workshop equipment, audio-visual equipment and a general rundown state of the various physical plants among other things bore testimony. The consequences has been a general erosion
of standards in the delivery of TVET and an inability to provide Technical and Vocational Education and Training to meet present and future trends in science and technology, as well as satisfying the nation’s need for skilled manpower.

In 1993 and 1995 the Ministry of Education developed and implemented policies and programmes for the improvement of the TVET system. The National Development Strategy of 2001 also articulates development policies for the system.

In 2003 the Secretariat of the Board of Industrial Training was upgraded to include the installation of a modern information storage and retrieval system. The TVET Bill was promulgated in Parliament on 22nd. July 2004.The passage of that legislation was seen as a major policy initiative that will pave the way for the restructuring and
further development of the system.

The objective is to modernize the system and improve the quality of the delivery of the various TVET programmes that are offered at the post –secondary institutions and the pre- vocational education system.

The Ministry of Education is also implementing a new competency-based modularized curricula at the post- secondary institutions for the training of craftsman. (Level Two competency)
At the secondary level, there is also the introduction of the Basic Certificate Competency Programme (BCCP), which is aimed at introducing basic labour competencies into the secondary school curricula for form 4 or grade ten students who would be certified at Level One competency.

The institutional framework of TVET in Guyana is divided between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour. The latter has responsibility for the Board of Industrial Training (BIT). There is close collaboration between the two entities for the promotion and development of TVET, such as formal arrangements for apprentices and artisan trainees under the BIT to attend classes at the technical institutions under the Ministry of Education.

Current funding arrangements for TVET is done mainly by Government's allocation from the national budget, along with a limited cost recovery input in the form of enrolment and examination fees. Even though the apprenticeship programmes are funded by the participating industries, the majority are public corporations or state entities.

TVET decentralization strategy
There are a number of recent initiatives to decentralize TVET, foremost among these is the Government’s on-going plan to establish a TVET institution in each of the ten Regions. In Region 2, the Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI) commenced training in the year 2001, while the Upper Corentyne Industrial Training Centre in Region 6 commenced training in 2005. Similar TVET institutions exists in regions 4 and 10. Included also in the decentralization strategy is the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment. This is a community-based on-the job training that would be delivered to 5,200 youths across the various regions of Guyana, over a three-year period.

Caribbean NewsLink - Newsletter of the ILO Caribbean Office

* Issue No. 3, May-July 2007
* Issue No. 2, March 2007

Law

Education, vocational guidance and training.
Industrial Training Act (Chapter 39:04). Official Gazette, 5 p.

Education Act (No. 3 of 1876) (Cap. 39:01)
Act on-line (as amended), Laws of Guyana, Government Information Agency, Guyana, 29 p. (consulted on 2006-11-22)