BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - CITY AND GUILDS is back in St. Kitts and is hoping to start offering practical courses in various programmes both at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College and to several private and government organisations.
City and Guilds is a vocational education organisation based in the United Kingdom (UK) and offers over 500 qualification courses to colleges and workplaces in over 81 countries around the world.
The organisation offers courses in various programmes including hospitality and catering, construction, workforce development, training and assessment, security, engineering, hairdressing and beauty therapy, and business.
Sales and Business Development Manager of City and Guilds, Katerina Tsiplacis, speaking with this publication, said that the organisation is currently in St. Kitts meeting with the Ministry of Education and other institutions with the hope of being granted the opportunity to offer a range of their vocational courses at the College and at various workplaces as well.
"I am looking forward to listening to them and hearing what we could do, where we could fit in and what role we could play, and hopefully our Internationally recognised qualification training could be offered within the community college and workplaces here in St. Kitts," she explained.
She said that this is not the first time City and Guilds, if given the opportunity, would be offering courses but that the organisation has partnered with the relevant institutions some years ago.
"We did have a presence in St. Kitts quite a number of years ago; we have worked with the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College and the Ministry of Education before."
Tsiplacis explained why courses are suited to the workplace as well.
"Because our qualifications are vocational, the training could also be done at the workplace, not just the college but anywhere as our qualifications focus on the practical skills. Some have examinations, some have theory but 80-90 percent of them are practical."
Tsiplacis emphasised that City and Guilds has no intention of replacing the courses that are currently being offered at the colleges or even the courses that some businesses offer their staff but that they are here instead to add to them.
"We are not here to compete with any courses that are currently being offered. We are here to complement the existing courses and offer additional courses. The courses that are currently being offered here are excellent but focus a little bit more on the academic side and our courses focus mainly on the practical skills so that would give a very nice balance to the students and particularly benefits the employer afterwards."
She said that courses, if offered, would be taught by the teachers at the College and the trainers at the workplaces but would be supervised by members of the City and Guilds orgnisation to ensure that the courses are being taught with the highest quality.
She revealed that City and Guilds are also looking at offering similar courses to secondary schools so as to prepare the students when they would be ready to go out into the working world and in turn help the business places as well.
"We are aiming to start looking at secondary schools with some areas of hospitality and catering. We do a very good course in employability skills that can be put within the school system which prepares young people for the work place. It can be used in college as well as it gives provides interview skills and techniques, self-esteem, and efficiency."
City and Guilds was founded in the UK in 1878. It is a registered charity and an established training provider offering vocational training and qualifications to community colleges and workplaces in over 81 countries around the world.
The organisation has had a presence in the Caribbean for about 50 years and on April 21, 2011 opened a regional branch office in Barbados.
