The Colombo Plan Staff College and the National Institute of Technical Teachers' Training and Research (NITTTR) gathered regional representatives and participants during the Regional Program and International Conference on Skills in TVET for Sustainability held from October 8-12, 2018 at the NITTTR Campus in Chennai.
The Program Coordinator, Dr. G. Kulanthaivel (center) providing assistance to participants during the discussion of their tasks
The Regional Program, with a theme on Quality and Sustainable TVET, was organized for the TVET stakeholders in member countries to further develop the capability in TVET to face the continued challenges in the global era and to look into the quality improvement on TVET. It also aims to inform the participants regarding the strategies towards the improvement of TVET in the region, taking into account the challenges that countries face in reforming and realigning their existing TVET systems into a more sustainable approach.
In attendance are 14 directors, administrators and heads of institutions from Fiji, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The participants of the Regional Program at the SRM Technology Park in Chennai.
The contents focused on the development of strategic plans for TVET institutions, quality assurance and an exchange of information regarding the trends and challenges for TVET. They were also able to develop thrust areas for a sustainable future of TVET institutions, prepare sample documents for APACC quality assurance and develop system development plans for the future reference of their institutions.
The program was supervised jointly by the Director General of CPSC, Dr. Ramhari Lamichhane and the Director of NITTTR-Chennai, Prof.Dr. Sudhindra Nath Panda. Program arrangements and resources were provided by Dr. G. Kulanthaivel, the former faculty consultant of Colombo Plan Staff College and currently the Professor and Head of the Department of Electrical, Electronics and Communication Engineering in NITTTR-Chennai. Additional program resources were provided by Prof. Dr. D. Brahadeeswaran, the Former Professor and Head of the Department of Policy Planning & Educational Research, NITTTR-Chennai. Ms. Juanita Empuerto, CPSC’s Procurement Assistant, also attended the event to assist with the program preparations.
As a part of their classroom interactions, the participants were able to visit the SRM Institute of Science and Technology. They were oriented with the innovations employed by the institution in terms of maintaining a quality and sustainable TVET. The delegates were welcomed by the Director of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Prof. C. Muthamizhchelvan, Ph.D. who also facilitated the tour of the campus premises.
(Left photo) The participants of the Regional Program at the International Guest House of NITTTR
(Right photo) Presenting the certificate of appreciation to Prof. C. Muthamizhchelvan of SRM University
International Conference on Skills in TVET for Sustainability Opened New Opportunities for Exchange of TVET Information
One of the salient developments in the field of TVET is that many countries have placed TVET in the mainstream of education. This entails the need for extending cooperation and support in education and skill development among the developed and developing countries including development partners and professional organizations for sustainable development. With this aim, NITTTR – Chennai and CPSC also organized the International Conference on “Skills in TVET for Sustainability” on 11th and 12th October 2018. The two-day conference was attended by 140 participants from different schools, institutions and businesses based in Chennai.
The program officials during the opening ceremony of the International Conference (Left to Right): Prof.Dr. Kulanthaivel (Program Coordinator and Former CPSC Faculty Consultant), Dr. Sudhindra Nath Panda (Director, NITTTR-Chennai), Dr. Ramhari Lamichhane (CPSC Director General) and Prof. Dr. Allam Appa Roa (Chairman of the Board of Governors, NITTTR)
Dr. Ramhari Lamichhane providing the address to the conference as the Guest of Honor.
In addition to the program officials and guests at the Regional Program, the conference was graced by Prof Dr. Allam Appa Rao, the Chairman of the Board of Governors, NITTTR-Chennai who delivered the Program’s Inaugural Address. Dr. Ramhari Lamichhane, CPSC Director General, was the Guest of Honor of the Conference.
Speakers from Ethiopia, Indonesia, Mauritius, Mexico and Namibia were also in attendance aside from the 14 participants of the Regional Program. They presented country papers and case studies that further highlighted the progress of TVET innovations in their respective countries.
Overall, the regional program and seminar culminated on a positive note as the participants were able to take home valuable lessons in their responsibility to achieve a quality and sustainable TVET in their respective institutions.
