In an innovative educational move, St George Secondary School has announced groundbreaking plans to launch Barbados’ first technical and vocational sixth form programme outside traditional polytechnic institutions. Principal Dennis Browne unveiled the ambitious initiative during the school’s annual speech day and prize-giving ceremony, presenting a comprehensive blueprint for educational transformation.
The pioneering programme represents a significant departure from conventional academically-focused sixth forms, offering a two-year curriculum structured around technical skill development. Students will progress through Level 1 training in their first year followed by Level 2 advancement in their second year, while simultaneously completing compulsory courses in computation, communication, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship.
A distinctive feature of the initiative involves establishing on-campus business incubators for graduates. The school plans to convert three prefabricated buildings into twelve individual workstations, providing each graduate with their own operational shop space to launch their trade with continued institutional support.
Principal Browne emphasized the programme’s collaborative nature, revealing partnerships with the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme for expert guidance and internship opportunities. The initiative specifically targets students excluded from technical education due to capacity constraints at established institutions like the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology, which turns away 3,500 applicants annually despite its 2,500-student capacity.
During his address, Browne directly appealed to the attending Minister of Educational Transformation for governmental support, expressing confidence in the programme’s potential to reduce youth unemployment by creating alternative educational pathways that combine skill acquisition with immediate entrepreneurial opportunities.