Functions & Responsibilities

The Technical & Vocational Unit co-ordinates the following programmes:

Agriculture

Agriculture is the management, growth and production of plants and animals to provide food, fibre and recreation.

Objectives

1. To create an awareness of the importance of agriculture, its rewards and constraints.

2. To provide skilled graduates to fill the manpower demand in crop and animal production enterprises, agriculture mechanics, agribusiness, and agriculture-related occupations.

Courses

Animal Science
Crop Science
Agricultural Economics
Soil Science
Farm Mechanics
Farm Management

Art/Craft

Art/Crafts is concerned with the individual’s reaction to his environment expressed in the two and three-dimensional activities through a variety of media. The resulting aesthetic form may be pictorial and/or functional.

Objectives

1. To encourage among students a visual awareness of the natural and man-made environment, and of the design elements therein.

2. To develop an atmosphere in which students can explore and experiment with various materials and methods.

3. To promote the development of skills in Art/Craft activities that will find marketable application in the world of work.

Courses

Drawing
Design and Graphics
Textile
Ceramics
Leather Craft
Basketry
Printing

Business Education

Business Education is a course of study designed to prepare specialised workers for the commercial field and to complement general education for meaningful participation in modern society

Objectives

1. To offer students knowledge and skills in business subjects which will prepare them for junior positions in the job market, or to continue their education at the tertiary level.

2. To assist the development of the student’s knowledge and understanding of the economic structure of the society so that they can better assume the role of responsible consumers and citizens.

Courses

Accounting
Bookkeeping
Business Mathematics
Commerce
Economics
Computer Applications
Principles of Business
Business Communications
Shorthand
Typewriting

Home Economics

Home Economics is a systematic study of the natural and social activities of the home and family, and is aimed at improving the quality of life.

Objectives

1. To provide the basic foundation for a better family life, to help improve the quality of the life and to contribute to the national goal of greater productivity.

2. To provide a foundation for continuing education and preparation for the world of work.

Courses

Food and Nutrition/Catering
Clothing and Textiles
Child Care and Human Development
Home Management
Cosmetology

Industrial Education

Industrial Education is an area of education, which teaches general principles of technology through workshop/laboratory experience with materials, tools, machines and society.

Objectives

1. To explore and evaluate the interests and aptitude of students in the technological fields.

2. To establish a base of technology skills which will provide a foundation for subsequent development of the individual.

Courses

Industrial Arts
Automechanics
Drafting
Electricity
Electronics
Machine Shop
Welding
Plumbing
Woodwork
Carpentry
Building Construction
Cabinet Making
Metalwork Engineering
Electrical Installation

Work Experience

Work Experience is a programme in which the school and community come together to provide opportunities for Grade 11 students to discover their career interests and aptitudes in a real world-of-work situation.

Objectives

The expectations of the Work Experience Education Programme are that the student will:

1. Have an opportunity to participate in meaningful work;

2. Gain an understanding of the importance of developing acceptable work habits, good grooming and the need for self-discipline;

3. Develop an understanding of positive attitudes for getting along with people;

4. Learn about the organisation of business and the relationship of employer to employee, unions and government;

5. Be enabled to explore career opportunities;

6. Receive assistance in making the transition from school to the world of work.

The unit has functional responsibility for the following institutions:

14 Technical High Schools
2 Agricultural Schools
and programme responsibilities in all High Schools, Junior High and All-Age Schools.

Through these institutions, the unit provides the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture (MOEYC) with specialised expertise for managing technical and vocational education islandwide

The unit provides pre-service and in-service training for teachers of these programmes in the delivery of the respective curricula. Teacher upgrading workshops and seminars are also conducted during the summer in the respective areas.