NIPA is located in Cay Hill
SABA--The Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) school board, Saba Educational Foundation (SEF) and National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) of St. Maarten signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Friday, March 19, to further their collaboration in vocational education.
The MoU seeks to enhance the development of (technical) vocational education and training opportunities and resources in Saba and St. Maarten. Through the agreement, SCS and NIPA want to stimulate opportunities to collaborate and together develop and offer a broader curriculum.
The scope of the collaboration includes planning and development of (technical) vocational programmes and courses; organising seminars, workshops and conferences; exploring the possibilities of singular or joint twinning programmes in interdisciplinary areas of specialisation; exchange of technical information and materials; identifying opportunities for exchange, cooperation and joint research and development in the disciplines of general construction, hospitality, maritime and early childhood development; and organising and participating in joint international activities such as training programmes, seminars and conferences.
In the MoU, NIPA committed to collaborate on maritime, early-childhood care and hospitality initiatives, to engage in technical vocational education and training initiatives that foster and promote standardisation and accreditation, and to participate in blended learning and resource exchange.
SEF committed to providing NIPA the possibility to provide an information session for vocational students about the options at the institution in St. Maarten and actively supporting students to enrol in NIPA, and making resources available for NIPA to use such as simulators, training facilities and/or trainers.
“We are all excited about this collaboration,” said Deshaun David of NIPA, St. Maarten’s government-recognised institution for advanced vocational and technical education, during a virtual meeting. “There is strength in numbers. This MoU provides us the opportunity to push forward with vocational education in the region, to take vocational education to a higher level.”
“We share the same vision. We all aim to improve vocational education, and this collaboration is the next step. I hope that the students can benefit the most from this MoU,” said SCS director Anton Hermans.
The collaboration is one of the results of the collaboration the two partners have in the Caribbean Vocational and Trade Schools network.
The MoU was signed by SEF chairman Franklin Wilson and president of NIPA’s supervisory board of directors Peggy-Ann Dros-Richardson. It entered into effect immediately and is for one year.
At the end of the virtual signing ceremony, Dros-Richardson thanked everyone for their input in making the MoU happen.
