The I.M.P.A.C.T. project is designed to deliver competency-based training packages to 220 workers in livestock farming, crop farming and agro-processing. The I.M.P.A.C.T. project is facilitated by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, in association with the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council, and the Ministries of Agriculture and Labour.

Mr. Sean Thomas, Agroprocessing Course Participant

Minister of Labour, Senator Dr. Esther Byer lauded the project, stating that with the application of vocational qualifications, all individuals would have the opportunity to develop the relevant competencies; be able to more effectively apply the knowledge learnt from the educational programme; and merge this knowledge with the technical skills.

“As new industries develop and new technologies are created, so is the need for our education and, by extension, our training system, to change and to be aligned with the emerging trends in industry. This is but one of the reasons why the Government made a decision to create a Human Resource Development Strategy,” she pointed out.

Course participant, Sean Thomas, said that he could fully attest to the project’s effectiveness. “I can speak for all the members who participated so far by saying that the programme enhances the natural abilities. It also teaches teamwork, leadership and entrepreneurial business skills, which in these hard economic times are essential for people who are being trained to assist the Government and [support] their families,” he stated.

Source: Barbados Government Information Service