Education geared towards the job market
News that a new vocational school catering for some 500 students will be constructed in Cay Hill is most welcome. For one thing, the school is not located in the St. Peters/South Reward area where most of the island’s schools are concentrated, with major congestion and security issues as a result.
That a new secondary school is badly needed is obvious from the crowded classrooms and other problems at particularly Milton Peters College, which encompasses several types of education.
More important, the focus will be on the marine sector, which has seen enormous growth over the past decade and has created many jobs that are now mostly occupied by expatriates. When one talks about youth unemployment, this is definitely one of the sectors that can make a difference.
The problem is that working in the marine service industry requires a certain background, maritime knowledge and level of skill. To begin with, people employed in this sector need to know how to swim.
The idea of spending only three days a week in the classroom and using the other two days for outside practical training is a good one, because this not only prepares the student better for the jobs likely to be available after graduation, but also should help stimulate the youngsters involved to stay in school, because they are already putting what they learn to practical use.
This kind of investment in education geared towards St. Maarten’s economic reality and the situation on the local labour market can help tackle the problem of a large number of school dropouts and consequently youth delinquency.
Young people want and need training that actually can help them land a job and earn a decent living. If provided with that prospect, more will be inclined to go the distance when it comes to school.
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