Reports
Report on the Labour Market/Human Resource Needs Assessment Survey completed by ACTI.
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Harmonization and Articulation of Associate Degree Programmes to be offered by Regional National/Community Colleges
The Association of Caribbean Tertiary Institutions Inc (ACTI) is pleased to apprise you of our Caribbean Development Bank funded project: Harmonization and Articulation of Associate Degree Programmes to be offered by Regional National/Community Colleges. This project is in response to the growing need for a greater fit between the training needs of the Caribbean economy and society and the programmes offered by regional tertiary level institutions.
The project involves all the tertiary institutions in the region. Programme Articulation through the harmonization of curricula will undoubtedly facilitate a major concern of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), the free movement of workers within the region, allowing recognition and portability of qualifications as graduates move throughout the region. The project is expected to be fully implemented by 2012 and comprises three phases:
Phase 1: Conduct of Labour Market/Human Resource (LM/HR) Needs Assessment Survey
This is a follow-up to the 2006 Tertiary Level Institutions Unit (TLIU)of the University of the West Indies (UWI) investigation and is intended to identify the specific education and training needs for greater relevance of human resource development through the conduct of a LM/HR Needs Assessment Survey. The study has three areas of focus namely: Modern Languages, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Auto Repairs (Engineering/Skill Training). The findings of the study will be used to inform the curricula restructuring of existing Associate Degree programmes and/or the development of new Associate Degree programmes in the three subject areas. We have recently completed this phase of the project and a copy of the survey can be obtained at www.acticarib.org
Phase II: Development/Re-design of Harmonized Associate Degree Programmes
Phase II of the project seeks to utilize the findings of the LM/HR Needs Assessment Survey in Phase 1 to develop and pilot harmonized core curricula for specific Associate Degree programmes in the areas of Modern Languages, ICT and Auto Repairs (Engineering /Skill Training) for implementing by TLIs.
The process for the development of the core curricula will include the conduct of two consultative workshops to ensure that programmes of the highest quality and ownership of the programmes are institutionalized within the academic offerings of the respective TLIs. Specific activities will be to:
- Develop and/or re-design harmonized, core curricula for three Associate Degree programmes based on the findings of the Human Resource Needs Assessment Survey conducted in Phase 1 of the project;
- Validate the quality and relevance of the programme developed via a piloting of the core curricula in selected regional community colleges.
The Association had advertised and recruited the services of UWI Consulting Inc. to Develop/Re-design the Harmonized Associate Degree Programmes in the selected disciplines.
In keeping with Phase II, two regional workshops were held in Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda on June 29-July 1, 2010 and July 29, 2010 respectively. Participants included representatives from universities, community colleagues, the accreditation bodies from Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda, CARICOM Secretariat, the Caribbean Examination Council and the Ministries of Education in the host countries.
The first workshop discussed the draft curricula and comments and suggestions to facilitate the harmonisation and articulation. The Second workshop reviewed and finalised the curricula. Copies of the final Curricula can be found at our download page.
The next stage would be to pilot these Associate Degree Programme in the selected institutions. Reports from the piloting TLIs would focus on a number of issues, including programme content, sequencing of courses, time allocation for content areas and assessment. It is anticipated that these programmes would be pilot from January 2011.
Phase III: Piloting of the Draft Harmonized Associate Degree Programmes
Selected regional community colleges will be invited to pilot the Associate Degree programme curricula in their institutions for one cycle (two years). Reports from the piloting TLIs, focusing on a number of issues, including programme content, sequencing of courses, time allocation for content areas and assessment, will inform an evaluation workshop to finalize the draft curricula of the programmes for full implementation.
