On strengthening links between education and the labour market How have last year’s changes to the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (GATE) funding scheme impacted the sector?
GILLIAN PAUL: Certainly, this has been a very challenging year. The recent changes to the GATE programme have meant that students now apply directly to the Ministry of Education in order to obtain financial clearance before applying to the university or college of their choice. This two-fold approach implies that educational institutions will not find out whether the student has been granted financial help until after they have completed their tertiary application. The change also obliges institutions to follow up with students individually to check which point of the GATE application they’re at, and once the request has been processed, whether financial aid will be provided.
For this to happen efficiently and be implemented smoothly, COSTAATT has been thoroughly changing internal procedures. A fair share of students at COSTAATT come from economically disadvantaged communities, and a lack of financial support results in a higher-than-average risk of drop outs.
The recent changes have also encouraged us to divert our attention to corporate support and other financial mechanisms to counterbalance the loss in government-sponsored funding. The temporary decrease in funding will also involve some resizing efforts; however, we see this an opportunity for the college to continue its focus on steadily increasing the quality of its teaching and overall operations.
How is the education system responding to the needs of the labour market in an increasingly digitalised environment?
PAUL: Much of the decision-making of both private and public education institutions seems to disregard the needs and requests of the Trinbagonian labour market. Increased responsiveness to the demands of the private sector and its labour market involves a higher output of graduates who possess the skill set compatible with mid-managerial positions, and not so much of the traditional bachelor’s or master’s graduates that the education system is currently providing.
Additionally, it’s important to stress that the current labour market ecosystem does not even request full, formal qualifications for certain positions. Instead, demand is focused on individual attributes, such as critical thinking, entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity, as well as excellent levels of problem-solving and communication, whether spoken, written or digital.
In the case of T&T, this purely economic change is also to a large extent a cultural one. For decades the principal goal of the education system has been to maximise the level of qualification and encourage individuals to steadily climb the education hierarchy. Now, curricula have to be changed and adapted to a new reality that calls for competences that diverge largely from traditional ones, affording us the opportunity to revise our pedagogical and assessment methods.
What is the significance of attaining the 60% participation rate in tertiary education?
PAUL: Such a gain was neither the result of strategy nor tactic, and as such, it has had little impact on graduates and the economy. Moreover, it was not aligned with occupational needs or specific sectoral requirements that were previously prioritised by the government.
Tertiary education itself is not an imperative area of development. Rather, priority sectors of the economy need to be identified, developed and targeted to shape consumer demand in education and produce a satisfactory number of graduates for the industries that need them. An untargeted increase in the mass of graduates and enrolled students, not channelled towards subjects with high prospects of employability, can only lead to higher rates of brain-drain and under-qualified employees.
What role does education currently play in upward social mobility?
PAUL: Education is still a cornerstone of social and occupational mobility in T&T, and the country’s appetite for education has not decreased. Students see education as key for their personal development, as well as the prosperity of their families and communities.
However, the prospects of education should not only be confined to social mobility. Education should also become a tool to raise awareness about environmental issues and sustainability, promote innovation on all levels, and encourage entrepreneurship, in light of the changing reality we call the present.
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