SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Government is embarking on a skills training programme under which it hopes to train some 12,000 persons in the first 12 months in centres across the country. Already, the sum of $15.2 million has been earmarked for equipment for the Laventille Technology and Continuous Education Centre, one of the majors in the State's projected Multi-Sector Skills Training (MuST) programme. The across the country skills development thrust has seen planning underway for the establishment of skills training centres in Palo Seco and Sangre Grande, with the possibility of other centres at Chaguanas, Galeota, Diego Martin and San Fernando and in the South-Eastern and South-Western parts of Trinidad.  Skills enhancement training is already underway at the Macoya facility of the Metal Industries Company, while enrolment at the Debe Automotive Centre in South Trinidad has been doubled.

At the Laventille Technology and Continuous Education Centre which is being established at the Old Fernandes building at Laventille students will be taught required skills such as welding, fabricating, machine shop training, carpentry, joinery, furniture making, automotive skills, maintenance, arts and craft, masonry, plumbing, air-conditioning and electrical installation. The programme, announced by Science and Technology Minister, Colm Imbert, is undoubtedly an ambitious one. But what is critical is not merely what it seeks to achieve, but the mechanisms  to achieve its aims must be there, and systems firmly in place to ensure that desired levels of competence are met. It is clear as the proverbial pikestaff that Trinidad and Tobago needs to train several thousands of persons to acquire the skills Minister Imbert has outlined will be taught at the Laventille Centre and in a combination of centres throughout the country. However, the Multi-Sector Training programme must have clearly defined objectives and standards and the capacity to reach them. Not only does globalisation demand this, generally speaking, but the establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) will see goods and services from within the FTAA competing in a no tariff barriers environment with our own.

And this country's small manufactures will be at a disadvantage in an unprotected market except we can achieve a level of efficiency which will make our goods competitive with FTAA products. We are not at all certain that what appear to be short term measures — 12,000 persons trained within the first 12 months of the programme being in operation — are what facing up to the reality of the FTAA demands. We have to recognise that the three to six months training to which most of the students will be exposed, if the figure of 12,000 is to be reached, is not the length of time in which they can realistically be expected to be qualified in their respective fields, as well as to be technology driven. Admittedly, the relation of the Trinidad and Tobago currency to the United States of America dollar and to the Barbados and Eastern Caribbean dollar will assist in making our goods competitive. But we need effective training and retraining of our young people if our goods and services are not to be swamped.