NEWLO facilities to accommodate more technical skills training 

by Curlan Campbell, NOW Grenada

• TVET Training programmes at NEWLO after-hours
• Skills for Youth Employment funded by UK aid from the UK Government over 3 years

In an attempt to fully utilise the facility at the New Life Organisation (NEWLO) after its usual closing hours in the evening, the Government of Grenada has partnered with NEWLO to provide TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) training programmes for young people in a number of on-demand skill area.

The first skills training programme, Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE) is funded by UK aid from the UK Government over 3 years; £564,644 will cover 65% of the cost. Government is expected to fund EC$374,400 the cost associated with transportation per year. 120 young per year people will receive training in skill areas including:

• Cosmetology (Level 2)
• Food Preparation and Cookery (Level 2)
• Carpentry (Level 2)
• Early Childhood Development (Level 2)
• Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (Level 1)

SkYE is a 3-year programme is designed to promote economic growth and sustainable development. Grenada is not alone in the implementation of such training since the programme is also rolled out in St Lucia, Dominica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines after 8 months of research and design work.

Over 6,000 young people ages 15 to 30 are eligible for training under the SkYE programme across the aforementioned territories, which is said to improve their employability in sectors where there is evident demand for skilled workers.

The first batch of young people started training under the SkYE in October while the government is preparing to begin training of 70 adults over the age of 35 during November.

Areas of skills training include:

• Agro-processing
• Fabric Design
• Hospitality Services
• Crop Production
• Poultry Rearing

This component of the training will be fully covered by the government and like the previous programme will be held at NEWLO. Both programmes will be held in the evening as the government realises the need to fully utilise the NEWLO facility.

“What has happened at NEWLO is a second shift has been created at the institution. Many times an institution closes at 2:30 pm and the building that is filled with equipment. The doors are just closed for the rest of the day, but at NEWLO now we are having a second shift so we are now being more efficient as a country in terms of utilising our resources,” said Minister for Tertiary Education, Skill Development & Education Outreach Hon. Pamela Moses.

Minister Moses was particularly pleased since this would mean that more young people can be empowered especially young people challenged by disability. “There is one main condition that the government and NEWLO have had to accede to for this training and is that 10% of the trainees must be disabled youth, so we have met that quota. New Life Organisation is not just training our able-bodied youth but is training youth that have challenges, who are disabled in one form or the other.”

Other courses accompanying the training are computer and life skills, literacy and numeracy and Job placement training. The selection of participants under the adult component of the government-funded skills training programme has already been completed and will cost approximately $600,000 yearly. The training will run between 9 and 13 months dependent upon the course undertaken.