A growing trend of high school dropouts on Barbuda, leaving without academic qualifications or technical skills, has prompted Rexford Harry, Principal of the Sir McChesney George Secondary School, to advocate for a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution on the island.

Harry revealed that the number of students graduating from the school has steadily declined, with fewer than 20 completing secondary education compared to an entry-level class of 30 or more. Many of these dropouts leave without acquiring practical skills to enter the workforce.

“We are losing a significant number of students along the way,” Harry said during the launch ceremony for the school’s first-ever TVET classes last Friday. “The absence of a technical vocational programme on the island means that those students would have left without acquiring a skill. I would love to see a purpose-built technical wing adequately resourced to deliver some of the programmes that we envision bringing on stream in the future. We have the land space, and we definitely have the need.”

TVET, which focuses on teaching practical skills for the workforce, is increasingly being viewed as an essential foundation for both individual and economic development.

Assistant Director of Education and TVET, Marion Byron stressed that vocational education should not be seen just as an alternative educational path but as a “crucial foundation” for a skilled work force and a thriving economy.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need to transform education and training sectors,” Byron noted. “It compels TVET systems to adopt innovative practices such as remote learning, digital transformation, greening curricula, and creating sustainable learning environments.”

A 2024 consultancy report on the labor market and skills assessment in Antigua and Barbuda identified key areas for skill development, including agriculture, agro-processing, light manufacturing, IT, tourism, renewable energy, climate resilience, construction, and maritime sectors. Byron added that training in hybrid and electric vehicle maintenance, solar panel installation, and other cutting-edge fields would help prepare students for future opportunities.

With major developments ongoing on the sister island, Byron cautioned Barbudan students not to become a minority in their own country by refusing to adapt to the changing social and economic needs. ‘Let TVET offer an opportunity to reduce those who feel marginalised in society so that everyone can experience the possibility of success,’ she said.

Beginning January and throughout 2025 specialised training in culinary arts and Beauty Basics (cosmetology), will be added to the school’s TVET offerings.  Students will also participate in a six-week apprenticeship programme and receive entrepreneurial training to ensure they graduate with job-ready skills.

Pasadena Isaac, representing the Barbudan GO organization, explained that the programme is designed to mix theory with immediate practical projects, helping students gain in-demand skills. “Our students are going to benefit from a programme that is very student-centric by the way it has been designed and developed,” Isaac said.

The initiative is part of a larger project funded by the European Union and spearheaded by the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF). The programme, running until 2026, is also being introduced in Nevis, St. Lucia, and Carriacou. Sandra Singh, CLGF’s Regional Programme Manager for the Caribbean, said that after the initial phase, ministry officials and Barbuda Council representatives would expand the programme further.

Barbuda Council Chairman Devon Warner was credited with initiating the idea after attending a 2022 CLGF conference where the project was discussed.

Shari Cannegieter, Secretary/CEO to the Barbuda Council who represented Warner at the event said, “While educational institutions have traditionally focused on academia sometimes to the detriment of students who may not be so inclined, it is gratifying to witness and be a part of the introduction of a technical programme within in our secondary school.”