The National Training Agency (NTA) is celebrating ten years of service in the development of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Grenada. The NTA began operations in a small office in the Botanical Gardens, Tanteen, on December 8, 2018 with Chief Executive Officer, Lincoln Morgan at the helm. The Agency was officially established in 2009 by an Act of parliament – the Grenada Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training Act.
The Agency is managed by a Council which provides supervision and guidance to the NTA and as an advisory body to the Minister of Education with respect to policies and strategies required for an efficient and effective TVET structure suited to the needs of Grenada.
One of the NTA’s main functions is to oversee, monitor, co-ordinate and promote TVET to meet the needs of Grenada’s labour market. The Agency is also required to accredit and register all TVET training providers; to approve the design and delivery of training courses and manage the issuance of certificates in relation to TVET.
The NTA has achieved much to accomplish its main mandate in the first ten years. To date, 3954 candidates have received CVQ/NVQ certification. In 2018 alone, 682 certificates have been issued. The NTA has trained 192 Assessors, 14 Master Assessors, approved 10 Training Centres, trained 429 TVET Instructors, 93 verifiers and 49 Quality Auditors. One hundred and 71 Occupational Standards have been approved by the GCTVET for use in training; 23 in 2018.
Under the NTA’s first training project, the OECS Skills for Inclusive Growth Project more than 1600 unemployed youth received training and certification. Since then the NTA has collaborated with several government ministries, agencies and private organizations to oversee training leading to CVQ/NVQ certification including MAREP, CARCIP, and the CARICOM Youth Skills Development Project.
The Grenada NTA has also sought to assist in building capacity in other NTA’s around the region. NTA has been able to assist in providing training for Assessors in Antigua and Dominica and will soon be delivering similar training in St. Kitts. The Agency has also trained Instructors in St. Kitts and has provided training for assessors and instructors in the tourism and hospitality sectors under an Eastern Caribbean Institute for Tourism Project. The NTA has also hosted several study tours from regional countries including Belize and St. Vincent and the Grenadines with request from St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda to be fulfilled.
The NTA is celebrating under the theme ”NTA: Celebrating ten years of service in the development of TVET”. The week began with a television interview and a week-long radio quiz. A special Thanksgiving Service was held on Thursday December 6th, 2018 at The St. George’s Evangelical Church in Springs, St. George’s from 5:30 P.M to begin the celebrations. A presentation to a charitable organization is also planned for early in the New Year. Celebrations continue into 2019.
