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Tertiary Education and Training in T&T on the Right Path

Tertiary education and training provide the skills necessary to increase the competitiveness of nations and are essential to economic development. The World Economic Forum notes that today's global economy requires that countries "nurture pools of well-educated workers who are able to adapt rapidly to their changing environment."

In recognition of the importance of tertiary education and training, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago set the target that by 2015, 60 per cent of the graduates from the secondary school system would move on to some form of higher education. This is an ambitious target and one that requires significant investment, planning and cooperation between the Government and the private sector.

The importance of tertiary education is underscored by international institutions including the World Bank and the United Nations. The World Bank defines tertiary education as, "all post-secondary education, including but not limited to universities." The World Bank notes that while universities are clearly a key part of all tertiary systems, there is a diverse and growing set of public and private tertiary institutions that includes colleges, technical training institutes, community colleges, nursing schools, research laboratories, centres of excellence and distance learning centres. These institutions, according to the World Bank, produce the "higher-order capacity" that is necessary for development.

Data from the World Bank's World Development Indicators report for 2007 show that there is a positive relationship between tertiary level enrolment and economic development.

Country
Tertiary Enrolment (Gross Enrolment Ratio)
Low Income Countries
9%
Middle Income Countries
26%
High Income Countries
67%
Source: World Development Indicators, 2007

Enrolment in science and engineering programmes is also good proxy to determine whether a country is on the right path. According to statistics from the UNDP Human Development report for 2007/2008, about 36% of all students enrolled in tertiary level institutions in Trinidad and Tobago were enrolled in the sciences, engineering, manufacturing and construction-related programmes. This percentage is when compared with other countries. For example, in South Korea this percentage is 40% while in Finland it is 38%. The United States has 16% enrolment in sciences, engineering, manufacturing and construction-related programmes.

Given the importance of tertiary education and training to achieving developed nation status by 2020, the Government has invested heavily in tertiary education through programmes that subsidise tuition expenses such as the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses or GATE. GATE funding covers 100% of tuition expenses for nationals of Trinidad and Tobago pursing undergraduate studies at public institutions. In 2007 it was announced that an estimated 66,000 students were benefiting from the GATE programme. The Government has also established a new university, the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).

The UTT sees itself as "meeting the needs of Trinidad and Tobago for a highly trained and qualified technological manpower base." The establishment of the UTT came out of a need to increase the supply of graduates in the technical disciplines, especially as they relate to the energy sector. To this end, the UTT offers Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Petroleum Engineering. In addition to these programmes, the UTT also offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Process and Utilities Engineering, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Manufacturing Engineering. The UTT also offers a Master of Science in Maritime Management and a Master of Science in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Management.
There is also a need to boost productivity and to increase technical and vocational skills that have an important role to play in national development. These skills are important for the construction and services sectors. The responsibility for reforming, coordinating and regulating technical and vocational education and training in Trinidad and Tobago falls to the National Training Agency (NTA).

Specialist training is also critical to companies in today's business environment. Such training increases the productivity of workers and enhances competitive advantage. Training can either be outsourced to an external provider or can be provided internally. One company that provides training to businesses in Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean countries is the International Institute of Learning (IIL). IIL provides training and consulting services in Project, Program and Portfolio Management, Microsoft Office Project and Project Server, Lean Six Sigma and Business Analysis. IIL offers multiple modes of delivery for its training material that range from the traditional classroom training to web-based "self-paced" training, distance learning via satellite broadcasts and "virtual" instructor-led courses, among others.

One of the leading tertiary education institutions in the Caribbean is the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business (Lok Jack GSB). Over the last 18 years, Lok Jack GSB has produced some 1,100 graduates, many of whom have gone on to play key leadership roles in the private sector and in Government. Lok Jack GSB offers post graduate degrees in areas such as business administration, human resource management, marketing and project management. These degree programmes include:

Executive Master of Business Administration
International Master of Business Administration
Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management
Master of Human Resource Management
Master of Marketing
Master of Project Management

In addition to these degree programmes, Lok Jack GSB recently launched a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree. Given the importance of training in career development and in building organisational capacity, the Centre for Training and Development at Lok Jack GSB offers a range of programmes in six areas: executive education, events management, professional development, skills development, finance education, and project management.

Trinidad and Tobago is on the right path as it relates to tertiary education and training, however, a lot remains to be done. The increase in the demand for tertiary education and training is being met by increases in supply at the level of public institutions, and private institutions. Some of these institutions have been mentioned in this article. It is also instructive to note that increasingly students from other Caribbean countries, as well as Caribbean students living in North America now see Trinidad and Tobago as a destination for higher education.

Tertiary education in Trinidad and Tobago now extends from technical/vocational training and certification all the way to executive training at the post graduate level. The range of educational opportunities and the support of the Government mean that Trinidad and Tobago is poised to meet its objective of 60 per cent tertiary level enrolment by 2015.

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