As the awareness of Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQs) and the benefits of the CVQs continue to increase across sectors with regards to training; it is now our aim at the Barbados Employers’ Confederation (BEC) to inform employers of the importance of including these qualifications in their recruitment policies and procedures.
The need for CVQ programmes has rapidly increased in the past year as employers seek to take advantage of the benefits ensured through CVQ programmes such as enhancing the quality of an employee’s work, contributing to their self-development and the organisation’s development; improving and honing employee skills, improved staff performance and motivation and improvements in the quality of service to customers. However, in vacancy advertisements, recruitment websites and job descriptions these qualifications are excluded as a requirement or skill.
Including CVQs in your recruitment drive will assists in the growth of expertise in your business, fill current and future skill gaps, which may currently be impeding your company’s growth and hampering recruitment of new talent. CVQs are also a solution to aging workforces, this will allow for persons to fill any skills gaps as the programmes are tailored to focus on the learner’s skills, knowledge and behaviour within the workplace.
Skills over qualifications, that is one of the primary pillars of the CVQs. Employers are often wowed by prospective employees on paper, however, when they enter the work environment they are unable to function. Including CVQs in your recruitment drive will aid in eliminating these types of prospects, this is because CVQ programmes are skill-based. Candidates who pursue CVQs are required to be assessed; During these assessments they are deemed competent or not yet competent to execute tasks based on the industry’s occupational standard.
Occupational Standards are the basis on which CVQs are developed. These occupational standards are the guideline of what people are expected to achieve in their work, and the knowledge and skills they need to perform effectively.
The training and assessment processes in attaining a CVQ programme is qualified in a such a way that makes for an all-round employee which ensures that persons are competent in areas such as time management, organisational skills,
team building, safety and health, to name a few. Although the goal of undergoing any type of training is to pass, CVQ programmes ensures that candidates not only attain a qualification but that they have the underpinning knowledge as well as the skill to go with the qualification.
Including CVQs in your recruitment drives, policies and procedures is the gateway to being able to hire personnel who are better prepared for the world of work. The design of the CVQ is based on the competency based approach to education and training and is therefore learner-centered.
The CVQ together with traditional academic qualifications creates the opportunity for a rounded employee who is able to “hit the ground running” in your organisation, it enables you to select the right person for the job; in an objective way while complying with equal opportunities legislation.
The guide pictured can aid in having a better understanding of the CVQs where they stand on the qualifications framework.
Shanika Best is a Caribbean Vocational Qualifications coordinator.
