SIXTH-FORM students pursuing engineering will now have the opportunity to gain two certifications at the end of their two-year studies instead of one. In addition to the traditional Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Associate Degree in Industrial Technology, they will also be able to sit examinations for matching courses in the City & Guilds London Engineering 2850 Level 3 Diploma programme.

Upon achievement of the diploma, plus two years of industrial experience, the students will qualify for international professional registration at the engineering technician level and carry the title Eng Tech. This registration facilitates the mobility of their academic qualification across international borders based on the mutual recognition agreement of the Dublin Accord.Alternatively, on achieving both the City & Guilds and CAPE engineering certifications, students will be eligible for advanced placement into an engineering degree programme at The University of the West Indies, Mona, where they will receive exemptions from some practical courses already covered.The proposal to twin both engineering programmes was disclosed by Chief Education Officer Dr Grace McLean at the Third International Conference on TVET in the Caribbean held recently in Montego Bay. The proposal, which is co-authored by Professor Gossett Oliver, principal of the Institute of Internationally Recognised Qualifications (IIRQ), seeks to provide an alternative pathway for sixth-form students to pursue a career in engineering.Dr McLean disclosed that the the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information would initially offer and fund the joint City & Guilds and CAPE engineering programme in six traditional high schools through the Career Advancement Programme commencing in September this year. She, however, declined naming the schools, explaining that the list has not yet been finalised and the selected institutions would first have to be notified before the information can be shared publicly.The chief education officer added that the programme could be dovetailed into the Jamaican Registered Apprenticeship Programme.Commenting on the proposed joint programme, Professor Oliver said the initiative would contribute to expanding the pool of engineers which are much needed by the country, while equipping them with the qualification to gain jobs abroad. He disclosed that IIRQ Career and Technical College, with its lab facilities and instructors drawn from industry, would also offer the programme to students commencing this September.The cluster of courses leading to the CAPE Associate Degree in Industrial Technology include one unit each of Caribbean studies, communication studies, integrated mathematics; two units each of building and mechanical engineering drawing, and electrical and electronic technology. An elective course in green engineering completes the 80-credit programme.Courses leading to the City & Guilds Engineering 2850 Level 3 Diploma include engineering health and safety, engineering principles, principles of electrical and electronic engineering, maintenance of electrical equipment and systems, electrical power control Principles & Practice, and Advanced Mathematics & Science. The programme totals 54 credits.Professor Oliver explained that on completion of the twinned programme, participants will approach the first stage of their professional engineering certification. The three levels of professional engineering qualifications from bottom up are:1. Engineering Technician (Eng Tech) — which requires an Associate Degree or City & Guilds 2850 Level 3 Diploma2. Incorporated Engineering (I Eng) — which requires a Bachelor’s Degree3. Chartered Engineering (C Eng) — which requires a Masters’ Degree