Barbados is set to carry out a comprehensive overhaul of its decades-old Occupational Training Act, the core legislation governing the country’s apprenticeship system, by the end of this year as part of a broader push to align technical and vocational education and training (TVET) with evolving modern learning preferences and shifting labour market demands. Labour Minister Colin Jordan first unveiled the planned legislative and structural reforms during a panel discussion at the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries (BCSI) Business Forum, hosted Friday at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill School of Business, before expanding on the details of the initiative in an exclusive interview with local media outlet Barbados TODAY.
Jordan confirmed that earlier this week, he joined Minister of Training and Tertiary Education Sandra Husbands to present the draft outline of the updated apprenticeship framework for the first time to a tripartite social partnership stakeholder meeting focused on the construction sector. “We just Wednesday presented the outline of a new apprenticeship framework to a social partnership meeting, but it was a construction sector meeting, tripartite. Presented for the first time in that kind of a format,” Jordan noted, adding that the proposal received largely positive feedback from attending stakeholders. “We are pretty advanced. Everybody who was there was happy with the progress we’ve made. They have a couple of tweaks based on the discussion and then [we will] proceed to implement, but that focus or this renewed focus on apprenticeships and recognising that it is really essential for now.”
The labour minister explained that the current national apprenticeship framework has failed to keep pace with technological, economic and educational changes over recent years, requiring targeted updates to reflect modern workforce realities. Under the collaborative effort between the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Technical and Vocational Training, the revised framework will introduce innovative approaches including micro-credentialing and a modular learning structure, moving away from the traditional linear learning model that has dominated apprenticeship programming for decades.
Jordan emphasized that a core goal of the reform is to elevate the status of technical and vocational training, positioning it as an equally valuable pathway for personal and professional development alongside traditional academic education. Beyond structural changes to learning models, the reform will also require additional resourcing and a revamped regulatory inspection process to ensure consistent quality across programs.
The redesigned apprenticeship model prioritizes practical, hands-on learning that meets the needs of contemporary learners, with a structured schedule that integrates on-the-job training and classroom instruction. Under the proposed structure, apprentices will spend three to four days per week gaining real-world experience within host organizations, with the remaining one to one and a half days dedicated to formal coursework. By the end of the three-year program, apprentices will not only earn a formal qualification but also build advanced, job-ready practical skills through supervised, structured work experience tailored to modern learning preferences.
To bring this new model into effect, amendments to the existing Occupational Training Act will be advanced through the legislative process. Jordan confirmed that the Ministry of Labour is leading the reform effort, with operational anchoring through the Ministry of Technical and Vocational Training. The Barbados Vocational Training Board and the TVET Council will retain their key implementation roles, while the Ministry of Labour’s People Development Unit will continue to lead the national overall people development strategy in close collaboration with the TVET-focused ministry.
Jordan expressed confidence that the full legislative overhaul required for the reform will be completed before the close of the 2024 calendar year, clearing the way for national rollout of the updated apprenticeship system across key economic sectors, starting with construction.