The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information has appealed to employers in the public and private sectors to recognise Stage 3 certification by UK-based City & Guilds Institute in mathematics and English language for entry-level jobs, and has also urged post-secondary institutions to accept the qualification for matriculation into their programmes.

Education Minister Ruel Reid, while addressing a ceremony to open new administrative and staff facilities at Edith Dalton James High School in St Andrew, recently, noted that City & Guilds certification at Stage 3 was equivalent to the basic objectives of Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC). He revealed that currently more than 10,000 students from across the country have attained that level in the two subject areas either at Grade 11 and under the Ministry’s Career Advancement Programme and are now ready to enter the world of work or to pursue further studies.

The City & Guilds new English skills qualification was first examined in Jamaica in June 2015. The examination provides certification for students who need an option to the concept-based CSEC English A examination. City & Guilds English is assessed via two modules: a written examination (Reading & Writing) that is set and marked in the United Kingdom (UK) and an oral examination (Speaking & Listening) that is internally assessed under the oversight of external verifiers. The qualification is available in three stages, with Stage 3 being the most advanced.

In the case of the new City & Guilds Math Skills, the mapping shows a parallel with the core objective of the CSEC examination to prepare candidates to perform effectively in the real world.

“City & Guilds provides a progressive approach through Stages 1, 2 and 3 and covers the core of the CSEC exams. It is designed to provide the basic mathematics skills, knowledge and abilities necessary for any citizen in a contemporary society,” the examining body said.

In a recent letter to public and private sector bodies, Minister Reid pointed out that the certification rate for both subjects is currently an average of 82 per cent for CAP students.

City & Guilds also offers a wide range of vocational qualifications in several occupational areas across eight levels, from entry to high-order, which, according to the examination body, are designed to allow people to cross borders and work with recognisable qualifications.