Foundation for Academic and Vocational Education (FAVE) Executive Director Tallulah Baly-Vanterpool’s claim (see Friday/Saturday edition) that vocational education has not always been given the respect it deserves was justified. She made it during the recent rebranding of St. Maarten Academy Preparatory Secondary Vocational Education (PSVE) to St. Maarten Academy Vocational Business Campus (VBC).
As stated in this column at the time, in a country with a tourism economy, most private sector vacancies are service-oriented and of a hands-on nature. They often require certain practical skills in addition to basic academic knowledge.
According to the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS), construction is also a major indirectly hospitality-related activity that helps drive the economies in the monetary union. However, the reality remains that currently the majority of jobs in the building industry are occupied by foreigners.
The latter means the islands’ youth and their families do not optimally benefit from the growth in this sector and are not being stimulated to do so, which leads to marginalisation. It is important to have programmes that combine theory and practice so that more students can get onboard that proverbial train.
VBC, but also Sundial School and National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) play an essential role in bridging the gap between the local labour market and education system.
