Andrea Walke, Senior Management Counsellor responsible for Quality Assurance, Research and Information Technology at the Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity (BIMAP), agreed. Acknowledging that meeting the requirements of the framework would require an investment of time and effort, she noted that it would be “learner centred and that those learners were becoming increasingly knowledgeable about the benefits of accredited qualifications and wanted to know that qualifications were accredited before they decided to invest time and money in training.”
With regards to the benefits of the Framework to employers, Ms. Walke noted: “People being employed will have valid qualifications based on a standard. As a result, employers will know that their employees can function in the role for which they were hired.”
And for training providers such as BIMAP, she said, “The Framework will help organisations in being able to say that their qualifications are valid and fit for purpose.”
Vallis Jemmott, Managing Director of Notes of Praise said, “The Framework will benefit our students because they will know that they’ll be receiving a quality education. Another benefit is that their course will become transferable to other institutions in the event that they want to further their studies.”
Acknowledging that for his school and other small businesses meeting the requirements of the Framework would be a “massive task”, Mr. Jemmott offered encouragement. “There will be assistance so businesses won’t be doing this all on their own. The overall goal is to improve the quality of education in Barbados. It is difficult, but achievable.”
Once the Framework is rolled-out, a Barbados Qualifications Register will list online those tertiary educational providers that offer recognised qualifications
