JAMAICA’S premier school for certifying technically skilled workers is limping, following the departure of two principals in less than a year – one of whom was invited to step down ‘voluntarily’ – and the subsequent resignation of half the board, including the chairman.

The Vocational Training and Development Institute (VTDI) was still without a principal last week, and its board is non-functioning after triple resignations, in what appears to be a fight with the HEART Trust/NTA over territory.

The institute, which manages and confers technical and vocational certification, is operating, for now, on auto-pilot.

It “is being run on its maturity, and there are a number of eminently qualified lecturers at VTDI to see to the operation,” says Dorrett Campbell, communications director at the Ministry of Education.

But on Friday, HEART Trust spokesman Mark Thomas said a principal had now been found and would be installed February 1.

Former principal Edward Shakes confirmed to the Sunday Observer that he was asked to resign last year by letter from the HEART Trust, the state training agency that overseas the VTDI.

Shakes did not volunteer HEART’s reasons for the request.

But comments from former VTDI chairman Leahcim Semaj, a social psychologist and job consultant, on his own reasons for resigning, suggested that the issue revolved around the training agency’s over-arching presence, and was a stand for independence.

“I had initially drafted my letter after Mr Shakes’ resignation, but the board convinced me that we have a responsibility to do more than that,” said Semaj.

“But when I realised how tedious things were becoming and we were being told what to do by HEART, I realised that autonomy was not forthcoming. It was then that I decided to go,” Semaj told the Sunday Observer.

Louis Moyston, another board member who resigned, enunciated deep concerns about the quality of the skilled labour pool that the institute was graduating.

Moyston, a university lecturer, said 70 per cent of the graduates of the institute were unable to garner more than Level 1 certification, the lowest level, while the rest of the Caribbean was graduating students at Level 4.

As a result, he said, the VTDI was unable recently to fill a request from a bauxite company for 400 Level 4 welders.

Campbell, confirming Moyston’s claim, said the ministry was aware that the graduates were at the lowest level – a situation that will likely have negative repercussions for job competitiveness under the Caricom single market – but did not comment further.

The VTDI board, up to last year, comprised Semaj, Moyston, Gillian Rowlands, Dr Henley Morgan, Patrick Facey, Wilbert Tomlinson and Dwayne Bailey.

The latter four remain on the board.

Semaj insists, however, that the three board resignations did not occur collectively, implying that there was no intent to cripple the institute.

Shakes was replaced as principal by Cedric McCullough, a consultant to VTDI for some nine years, but after eight months as interim administrator, the consultant asked to be relieved of his job.

McCullough was notified just before Christmas of the termination of his contract, months after he wrote to the Ministry of Education saying HEART was incapable of running the institute effectively.

Semaj says McCullough, whom he described as a man of impeccable integrity, was one of the architects of the terms of reference for the VTDI board, recommending autonomy.

The institute wants to be regulated directly by the ministry, allowing it freer reign to chart its own direction.

But HEART rejected the proposal, last year, advising Semaj by letter dated November 23, 2005.

Copies of the correspondence between the two agencies were obtained by the Sunday Observer.

The November 23 letter written by HEART chairman Alister Cooke, and addressed to Semaj, said in response to Semaj’s letter of October 14, 2005, that the August 29 meeting of the HEART Executive Committee/VTDI Board of Management, had rejected the proposed Terms of Reference (TOR) for VTDI.

Cooke said the current TOR were “neither appropriate nor approved by VTDI board and HEART Trust/ National Training Agency.”

He added: “…the impasse shall be resolved, despite the unilateral action taken by the members of the VTDI board.”

Semaj said the board’s feelings of emasculation were reported to Maria Jones, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, who requested a combined meeting with the boards of HEART and VTDI.

But by that time relations between the two, it seemed, had deteriorated too far.

The VTDI counter-proposed a separate meeting, “because we thought it would have been futile to meet together,” said Semaj.

Attempts to reach Cooke were unsuccessful but Thomas said Friday that the agency would prefer to address the issues face to face on Monday.

“My job is to protect the image of the institution and we do not want HEART to be hurt by allegations which can be explained,” said the communications head.

Semaj said the two boards were encouraged by Jones to work out the issues, but that for now the situation remains as it was at the end of last year.

Word of the HEART/VTDI conflict has reached education minister Maxine Henry-Wilson, but the minister cannot act without a formal complaint, said Campbell.

“The minister cannot intervene until a formal report has been made to her. She cannot act on hear-say,” said the communications director.

“Until and unless a report has been made to her, she will not act.”

Campbell said it was not sufficient for the agencies to bring the matter to the attention of the permanent secretary, saying the report to Jones does not provide a basis for the minister to intervene.

As minister, it is Henry-Wilson who names the boards of education agencies, and there are strict procedures that board members must follow to spark action from her office, Campbell said, adding that anyone at VTDI could inform the minister formally, including the individuals who have resigned.

“Once she has been formally apprised, she will act,” Campbell reiterated.

Informed sources say VTDI, which has a critical role in certifying skilled workers, allowing them to access jobs within the fledgling Caricom Single Market (CSM), has changed principals four times in the past seven years.

More recently, allegations of cronyism have surfaced surrounding expenditure of $22 million at the institute.

Asked about the allegations, Semaj said he was informed by letter from HEART that there was over-expenditure.

“If there was an allegation of misappropriation of funds at VTDI and I am chairman, it means it happened under my watch. Instead, I am being told by letter that there was overspending and misappropriation of funds. Why – because the board which I chaired was taking orders from HEART and in that case, we were not needed,” he said.

Moyston said he stepped down from the board because of the ministry’s failure to act decisively to settle the differences between the two agencies.

“I was frustrated and upset, particularly with minister Maxine Henry-Wilson’s neglect of the issues at the institution, particularly in dealing with the terms of reference for VTDI,” said Moyston, who lectures at the University of the West Indies.

“We have been appealing to the minister to act on the issue because, without that, we cannot act decisively to run the organisation to its full capacity,” he said.

virtuee@jamaicaobserver.com