MONTEGO BAY, St James — Montego Bay Community College Principal Dr Darien Henry has pointed to the modernisation of technical programmes by the Caribbean Examinations Council and ongoing efforts of HEART/NSTA Trust in developing graduates of international calibre — including world-class chefs and highly skilled ICT professionals — as proof that technical and vocational education and skills training (TVET) is demanding, industry-relevant, and globally competitive.

Against that backdrop, Henry has called for Jamaica to decisively dismantle the long-standing misconception that TVET is suited only for students who are “good with their hands”, arguing that the stigma attached to technical education is deeply rooted in the island’s post-emancipation history.

He was delivering the keynote address during the Institute of Vocational Education and Skills Training (INVEST) graduation ceremony held at Mount Salem Seventh-day Adventist Church in St James last Wednesday, under the theme ‘Inspiring Futures, Nurturing Possibilities’.

“That mindset remains a psychological barrier within parts of our education system. Despite meaningful reforms and notable progress in programme design and delivery, the stigma has not been fully eliminated,” Henry charged.

He posited that the problem dates back to age-old assumptions about the purpose of education and who it was meant to serve.

“To understand the stigma surrounding technical and vocational education and training, we must examine its historical roots. Following emancipation, the Negro Education Grant marked one of the earliest formal investments in Jamaican education with Government involvement. While intended to support the education of formerly enslaved people, debates within the colonial assembly revealed differing intentions. Some viewed education as a means of intellectual advancement, while others believed it should primarily prepare ex-slaves for continued labour within the plantation-based agrarian economy,” Henry said.

“This early utilitarian framing subtly positioned skills-based education as training for labour, while academic education became associated with leadership and governance. Though Jamaica has since modernised its technical and vocational pathways, remnants of that colonial hierarchy persist,” he said.

Henry argued that one strategic solution would be to harmonise science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines with technical education.

He is of the view that “the artificial separation between technical and academic disciplines no longer reflects the realities of modern industry”.

The educator also called for each secondary school student to pursue at least one technical subject alongside core subjects, and he underscored the importance of six essential literacies: reading, writing, oral communication, numeracy, digital literacy, and scientific literacy.

Citing labour market realities, Henry warned that Jamaica faces a structural clash between training and employment demand.

“Employers report difficulty finding skilled workers. Young people report difficulty finding stable employment. Both are true. This reflects structural mismatch — a misalignment between training systems and labour market demand,” he said.

He noted that only about 15 per cent of Jamaica’s workforce holds tertiary-level qualifications and that while approximately 28,000 students sat Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations in 2025, only about 6,200 achieved five or more subjects, with just under half passing mathematics.

“If productivity is to increase, competence must increase,” Henry asserted, adding that investment in high schools, community colleges, polytechnics, and teacher preparation institutions is critical as automation and artificial intelligence reshape the global workforce.

He also underscored the importance of expanding university participation in the Caribbean, noting that only about two out of every 10 students leaving secondary school advance to post-secondary education.

“Our challenge is not over-qualification. It is under-participation. TVET builds applied capacity. University education deepens analytical capacity. Together, they expand national capability,” he insisted.

Addressing graduates, instructors, and stakeholders — including representatives of the TUI Care Foundation and INVEST — Henry said the ceremony marked more than the completion of a programme.

“Today marks the successful completion of a demanding programme. But more than that, it represents preparation. It represents discipline. It represents a decision to acquire skills in a world where skills increasingly determine opportunity,” he said.

The ceremony celebrated graduates of the TUI Academy, launched through a partnership between the TUI Care Foundation and INVEST to empower more than 120 youths in western Jamaica with industry-aligned skills in tourism and hospitality.

Henry urged graduates to continue building on their certification.

“Your certification represents a foundation. It signals discipline and readiness, but it must be built upon. Continue upgrading your qualifications, strengthen your communication skills, develop adaptability, understand not only how to perform tasks, but how systems operate,” he said.

“Do not internalise outdated hierarchies about educational pathways. Technical excellence, pursued with seriousness and integrity, is intellectual excellence. A prepared workforce remains the foundation of a productive nation,” said Henry.