SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) has taken an important step toward strengthening vocational education and improving the connection between education and the labor market in Sint Maarten.
A plan of action was recently approved by the Council of Ministers and the Temporary Work Organization (TWO), under the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), with the aim to update and improve the vocational education system and align it with the labor market.
During a presentation held with the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Ms. Melissa D. Gumbs, and staff from her Ministry, Project Coordinator Martijn van der Linden presented the implementation approach for the vocational education reform project, including the planned activation of the Council of Education and Labor (CEL) / Raad van Onderwijs en Arbeid (ROA).
The project falls within the scope of the Country Package for Sint Maarten and is funded by the Temporary Work Organization (TWO).
The project will focus on strengthening (preparatory) vocational secondary education and ensuring that education and training better respond to the needs of the labor market. The project is now moving from the preparation phase into implementation. The focus is on translating the Plan of Action into clear and concrete steps, establishing the necessary structures, engaging key stakeholders, and making effective use of available capacity. The approach is designed to build strong collaboration among schools, employers, students, parents and other stakeholders from the outset.
A central component of the reform is the activation of the CEL/ROA. The CEL/ROA will serve as the advisory body for education and the labor market on Sint Maarten. Its role will include advising on the connection between education and the labor market, identifying education and training programs that respond to labor market needs and monitoring labor market developments amongst other tasks.
Alongside the activation of the CEL/ROA, the project will focus on strengthening Preparatory Secondary Vocational Education (PSVE/VSBO) and Secondary Vocational Education (SBO). The project will consist of a study of the current PSVE/VSBO and SBO system, identification of gaps and overlaps, curriculum renewal, improved awareness and career guidance for students.
The reforms aim to make vocational education an engaging and inspiring pathway where students can see how what they learn connects directly to the world around them and the careers they can build.
Minister Gumbs said: “Seeing this finally move from discussion into implementation is very important to me. The Council of Education and Labor is something I have been hearing about since my time in Parliament, and I have long recognized the need for a structure that brings education and the labor market closer together. Our young people deserve an education system that prepares them for real opportunities and responds to where our economy and society are going.
At the same time, I want us to be intentional about how we build this council. We have seen with other advisory bodies that establishing a structure is only the beginning. We cannot afford to create another body that exists on paper but does not consistently function as intended. The CEL/ROA must be properly established, supported and active, with the right stakeholders at the table and a clear focus on producing meaningful advice that can be translated into action. I am therefore pleased to see this work finally moving forward, and I look forward to seeing the CEL/ROA become a functioning and valuable part of how we shape vocational education and our workforce for the future.”
The Ministry of ECYS welcomed the presentation and the next steps outlined for the reform program. The coming months will focus on establishing the project team, initiating the labor market research, preparing the CEL/ROA membership process and beginning the first curriculum renewal activities.
The reforms ultimately intend to contribute to a vocational education system that provides students with relevant skills, clearer pathways into further education and stronger opportunities to transition into the labor market.
