Come September, this year, the Anguilla Community College expects to commence the Pearson BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) training programme – offering persons opportunities to pursue professional qualifications recognised throughout the world.
BTEC is described as “a suite of international qualifications taught across the globe by leading educational institutions.” Learners who undertake a BTEC qualification develop a blend of in-depth knowledge and important skills specific to a vocational sector as IT, Business, Hospitality and Engineering. It has been recognised that there is a growing gap between what employers, school leavers and graduates want, and that BTEC offers that solution.
Speaking at the launch of BTEC on Friday, June 17, President of the Community College, Professor Delroy Louden, said that BTEC offered all opportunities for persons to develop their abilities, skills and education at various levels. “In fact, it is so ideal that it is like one stop shop – once you come within it, there is a magnitude of programmes, as you venture through, which can take you to your particular level. It is very timely for us at the college. We want, at this stage, to ensure that all persons are provided with opportunities to have personal and academic growth that can only strengthen the infrastructure of Anguilla, yet, at the same time, have enough vision for young people.”
Mr. Evans McNiel Rogers, Anguilla’s Minister of Social Development and Education, said the launch of BTEC was a significant event for the Community College. “By becoming an approved BTEC Centre, the Anguilla Community College is aligning itself with institutions around the world offering some of the most recognised and important qualifications. BTEC qualifications are internationally accepted by employers, and learning institutions, as qualifications of the highest standard.
“What is significant for Anguilla is that students at secondary school level, and at the Community College, who prefer a more practical and work-based approach to learning, now have a clear path for obtaining internationally-recognised qualifications from entry level through degree level.”
Mrs. Janice McKeag Richardson, Coordinator of the Anguilla TVET Council, was pleased that TVET was able to offer recognised certification to students. “I am very thrilled that we are going to be able to start with offering BTEC, and that we are focusing on areas of construction and hospitality as our initial programmes,” she observed. “It is right in the middle of the qualifications we want to offer. It provides our students, and other adult persons attending the college, with a way to improve their skills and knowledge in their fields and to move up to a BTEC which is the equivalent of CAPE.”
Mrs. Mckeag-Richardson continued: “Because we are a truly comprehensive system, BTEC also allows us to certify students at our school who need more time to develop those qualifications and to set them on a path. We are looking at vocational studies in the areas of hospitality and construction as well as work skills in preparation for the workforce. That will allow them to flow through, and so they will be building their skills to go on and to encourage life-long learning.”
The BTEC programme was introduced to Anguilla by Mr. Dwayne Lockhart, Manager of Pearson Regional Development programme, based in The Bahamas. He stressed that the programmes include academic and vocational studies with qualifications recognised around the world. There are ten thousand centres and over two hundred universities involved in the Pearson BTEC programmes.
