Basseterre, St. Kitts, Friday, September 05, 2025: The St. Kitts and Nevis Technical and Vocational Education and Training (SKNTVET) marked a historic milestone as it hosted its first NVQ Certification Ceremony for trainees who completed six-month courses in key vocational disciplines on Thursday, 4 September.
The programme, which was a collaboration between SKNTVET and the Taiwan ICDF, focused on Carpentry, Electricity, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, and Welding, equipped participants with practical skills designed to meet the growing demand for qualified professionals in these trades.
Trainees proudly received their National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Certificates, an achievement that positions them to pursue further opportunities both locally and internationally.
Mr. Fitzroy Wilkin, TVET Chair, gave an overview of the training.
“For this year, we had four areas that we decided to launch into for our programs. We had the electrical installation programs, welding and fabrication, air conditioning and refrigeration, and carpentry and joinery. The success of these programmes brings numerous benefits to our college. It raises our profile as a centre of excellence in technical and vocational education.”
H.E. Ambassador Edward Ling Wen Tao, of The Republic of China (Taiwan) to St. Kitts and Nevis, congratulated the trainees
“This is another milestone between Taiwan ICDF and the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, and on the behalf of my embassy and the Taiwan Technical Mission, I would like to congratulate all the graduates for successfully completing the courses. Dear graduates, today is not the end. It is a brand-new beginning. The certificate you will soon be receiving is testament to your qualification. Make good use of the professional skills that will serve you well for the years to come.”
Minister of Education, Hon. Dr. Geoffrey Hanley, also congratulated the trainees and praised the milestone achievement of the nation’s first NVQ-SKN recipients, highlighting the efforts of those who made the certification possible.
“Graduates, Congratulations! You should feel exceptionally proud of yourselves as you are our first graduates to receive an NVQ-SKN. This is a big deal! After decades in the making, our dream of providing NVQs and certifying our skilled workforce has come to fruition. I applaud the hard work of the team at St. Kitts-Nevis TVET Council, TVET Secretariat, instructors, assessors, and verifiers who have been working assiduously to be able to award the NVQ-SKN. The ability of our TVET system to deliver NVQs puts St. Kitts and Nevis one step closer to being able to award the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ), putting us on par with some of our other Caribbean brothers and sisters.”
This graduation is expected to serve as a foundation for strengthening the skilled trades sector within St. Kitts and Nevis and underscores the vital role of vocational education in building a resilient economy.
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