MEDIA LAUNCH PRESENTERS

TVET experts discuss Post-Pandemic Skills Development in the Caribbean

On Thursday, May 6, 2021, four (4) of the region’s top experts in Technical and Vocational Education And Training (TVET) participated in a virtual conversation, discussing how skills development has been affected by the onslaught of the COVID-19 crisis on Caribbean job markets.

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Prof. Halden Morris studied at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, USA, the University of Western Ontario, Canada and the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech). Professor Morris is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Jamaica and is a Life Senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Professor Morris is the recipient of the Brown Senior Scholar Award from Valdosta State University, USA (2015), the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education (2009), and the IEEE Regional Professional Leadership Award (2007). He is also the holder of a United States small entity patent.

Professor Morris served as a lecturer through to a principal lecturer at the College of Arts, Science and Technology, now UTech for 19 years prior to his employment at UWI as a lecturer and quality assurance professional in TVET for more than 25 years. He is the founder and developer of the Master of Arts in Leadership in TVET and Workforce Development (2010) as well as the MPhil/PhD in the same discipline (2015) at the UWI. He supervised more than 100 masters and PhD studies while employed at the UWI. He was also chair of the energy conservation committee from inception (2008) at the UWI.

Prof. Morris has published many TVET related articles in peer reviewed international journals and is co-author of the book “Fundamentals of Fault Current and Grounding in Electrical Systems” and author/editor of the book “Issues in Career, Technical and Vocational Education and Training: Lessons for the Caribbean.”

Prof. Morris has worked as a TVET consultant for numerous entities such as the World Bank, UNESCO, IADB, USAID, OECS, CDB, ACTI, CARICOM, CIDA, UWI Consultants, UTech, Sutherland Global, Govt of Qatar, as well as several Ministries across the Caribbean. He is also a Programme Evaluator (PEV) for the American Board for Engineering Technology (ABET) as well as the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ).

He is founder of Halston (Electrical) Limited, a company which engages in Special Power Systems such as Uninterrupted Power Sources (UPS) and other clean energy sources for computers and control systems.

Dr. Troupe is a highly skilled Educator with expertise in transformational leadership; educational policy implementation, result-based management, training and behaviour change consultancy, motivational presentations, excellent programme planning, and youth advocate. She is the acting Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information with key responsibility for the successful operation of all public educational institutions in Jamaica.

She is a graduate of The Mico Teachers’ College (now The Mico University College), having attained an Honours Diploma in Secondary Education. She is the holder of a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Human Resource Management, with First Class Honours, and a Master of Arts in Communication for Social and Behaviour Change, with distinction, both from the University of the West Indies (Mona). She has a Doctor of Education in Administrator Leadership for Teaching and Learning from Walden University and also boasts certification in Project and Program Management, Monitoring and Control from Setym International of Canada, Financial Management in Schools from MIND, Financial Literacy for Students and Youth from the Commonwealth Secretariat, graduate of the Effective Principalship Programme at the National College for Educational Leadership and from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) where she pursued a certificate in Education Policy Implementation. Her academic merits have resulted in her being inducted in the University of the West Indies Honours Society, the Golden Key International Honours Society, an award of a Scholarship from Jamaica National Education Foundation and The Mico College Award for Academics.

A certified Leadership, Development and Performance Coach, Dr. Troupe is a recipient of the Governor General’s Program of Excellence Award for Leadership, the Junior Achievement Champion of Youth Award and is an appointed Ambassador for the Governor General’s I Believe Initiative. She is a member of the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force at the rank of Captain and a Justice of the Peace. Dr Troupe has written publications in ProQuest, the Commonwealth Secretariat Magazine and the Commonwealth Secretariat Yearbook. She served as the VP of the Association of Principals and Vice Principals and a member of the Ethics Committee of the Inter-secondary School Sports Association (ISSA). An inspiration to others with a passion for service, Capt. Dr. Troupe is the founder of Partners of Region One, a board member of the Nutrition Products Limited, the Overseas Examination Commission and a member of the Board of Directors for the Jamaica National Commission for UNESCO. A former Principal and Education Officer, Dr. Troupe has engaged in several international educational pursuits in China, France, Fiji, England, USA and in the Caribbean. She is driven by the scripture verse: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, she is inspired by the success of those she serves and relaxes by dancing and enjoying a good joke.

Dr. Faryal Khan is the Programme Specialist for Education at the UNESCO Cluster Offi¬ce for the Caribbean in Kingston which serves 20 Small Island Developing States in the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean.

Dr. Khan has experience in advising on educational reforms, policy and planning in over 30 countries worldwide and leads technical advice pertaining to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4). She served at the UNESCO Education Sector from 1995 – 2011 in Paris and UNESCO Doha Cluster O¬ffice for the Gulf States and Yemen from 2011-2018. Prior to joining UNESCO, Dr. Khan worked for the World Bank, Washington, D.C., and Beaconhouse School System, Pakistan. She is a board member of the McLean National Council, a¬ffiliated with Harvard University, USA.

Dr. Khan earned her doctorate in Educational Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from Harvard University (2005). She has two masters’ degrees in Education: from the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan (1989), and Harvard’s Graduate School of Education (1995).

Marcia Rowe Amonde (Ph.D) is currently a Senior Director at the Human Employment and Resource Training (HEART) Agency, Jamaica. There she has portfolio responsibilities for the procurement and development of instructional resources and advancing flexible and online learning.

Marcia has been responsible for integration of TVET in the formal education system including secondary and tertiary education and providing leadership for the monitoring and evaluation of TVET programmes and initiatives and was Principal of the Vocational Training Development Institute. Marcia also served as the UNESCO – UNEVOC Cluster Coordinator for the Caribbean and the Official Delegate for WorldSkills Jamaica.

She holds a diploma in teacher education from Sam Sharpe Teachers College, a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the West Indies, a Master of Science degree in Training Systems Design from the University of Twente, Holland, and a doctorate focusing on effective learning in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) from the University of Manchester, UK in addition to certificates in TVET leadership from UNESCO – UNEVOC and skills development from the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

She has participated in various conferences making presentations on effective learning with the context of competency based education and training and has taught at high schools and in a further education college in England. She believes in the transformative power of learning and the empowerment of youths deemed to be marginalized and at risk.

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