Preparation of Programming Documents for the Barbados HRD Programme and Finalising a Barbados HRD Strategy

Detailed description of project Back

The Barbados National Strategic Plan 2006-2025 describes Barbados’ vision of becoming a fully developed society that is prosperous, socially just and globally competitive by the end of the first quarter of this century. The Strategic Plan outlines the framework for comprehensive economic diversification and restructuring that would in turn lead to social cohesion. In addition, the Barbados Adaptation Strategy 2006-2014 targets the transformation of sugar production into a sugarcane industry and diversification of the overall economy through human resources development, entrepreneurship, cultural industries, and other measures.

It is clear that without the necessary human resource capacity, Barbados will not be able to achieve its strategic objectives as stated in the Strategic Plan. Therefore human resource development is clearly articulated as a major priority for economic reform and diversification.

The Barbados HRD programme will specifically contribute to the following five areas:

• Creation of an enabling environment for human resource development through institutional strengthening, and capacity building;
• Development of an internationally-recognised national certification and qualifications framework;
• Development of demand-driven professional development and training services including improved educator preparation programmes, career planning, quality assurance, and active participation of youth at risk;
• Rationalisation of knowledge management systems and information access;
• Enhancement of research to improve innovation, entrepreneurship, and development capacity.

Key stakeholders are the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) and the Ministry of Labour through the TVET Council, the Employment and Training Fund, the Barbados Vocational Training Board and its Manpower Research and Statistical Unit.

Type of services provided

PROMAN provides the services of the Team Leader; 2 HRD junior experts are provided by Cambridge Education, who:

• Review and evaluate the Draft Barbados HRD Strategy and related documents, develop a programme of action for the implementation of activities strategies, and indicators to achieve national objectives;
• Review relevant social, economic, training, and wage policies;
• Provide a description of the structure, role and mandate for the proposed HRD Division of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD – lead agency);
• Conduct an Institutional Assessment of agencies involved in HRD including recommendations for strengthening;
• Prepare a framework for HRD linked to critical sectors of the economy;
• Evaluate the national system of certification and accreditation;
• Review the existing financing mechanism for training;
• Evaluate the institutional framework in place to promote and support entrepreneurship;
• Make Recommendations for improvement.