UNIVERSITY of the West Indies Masters student Alia Wedderburn is the 2015 recipient of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation-Vocational Education (UNESCO-UNEVOC) Skills-in-Action award.

She was selected based on a submission detailing her journey as a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) practitioner, student and educator.

Wedderburn’s TVET journey began when she was a student at Hampton High School, in St Elizabeth. She participated in the Ministry of Education’s TVET Rationalisation Programme spearheaded by Dr Carole Powell which allowed her to access cosmetology classes at St Elizabeth Technical High School.

“This opportunity was fundamental as it provided early exposure to the field that would shape my destiny,” Wedderburn recounted.

This was 15 years ago, and over the years, her TVET experience has been nothing short of rewarding.

“I am extremely grateful to the HEART Trust/NTA for providing training and exposure through initiatives such as WorldSkills International competition. This experience encouraged me to embrace international standards and strengthened my belief in the TVET system,” the young woman said.

Her TVET journey has also taken her on the path of higher learning through research. The master’s progarmme she is now pursuing is in Leadership in TVET & Workforce Development. Prior to that, she earned a Bachelor of Education in Applied Technology from the Vocational Training Development Institute, a City & Guilds Advanced Diploma in Teaching, and a Training & Assessing Learning Certificate from the Caribbean Polytechnic Institute.

“I am thankful to Dr Halden Morris for painting the walls of the University of the West Indies with Leadership in TVET and Workforce Development,” Wedderburn noted.

“The graduate programme has synchronised the Caribbean with the rest of the world and is preparing leaders who understand the importance of this journey that will inevitably lead to national and regional development,” she added.

In a strategic move to prepare the Jamaican workforce to seize the employment opportunities that are increasingly opening up in the technical and vocational fields, UNESCO has organised several conferences to stress the importance of strengthening skills and development for employment with particular reference to TVET as a contributor to achieving sustainable development, poverty alleviation, greater equity and justice.

“I salute UNESCO-UNEVOC for creating the Skills-in-Action award as a tool for recognising and promoting excellence in TVET,” stated Wedderburn. “TVET is the gateway to greatness and is the key to transforming lives. My life is a resounding reflection of Skills in Action that has been made possible because of the TVET practitioners and supporters who believe,” she noted.

As part of her course requirements, Wedderburn participated in the second International Conference on TVET in the Caribbean held last month in Montego Bay, where she was presented with her award before a gathering of 300, including her proud parents.

Alia Wedderburn BB

Alia Wedderburn (2nd right), the 2015 winner of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization-Vocational Education (UNESCO-UNEVOC) Skills-in-Action Award, receives her prizes from Prof Shyamal Majumdar (2nd left), head of the Bonn-based agency, at the second International Conference on TVET in the Caribbean in Montego Bay on May 13, 2015. Alia’s mother (left) and father (right) witnessed the presentation. (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION)