We met today (Tuesday) with Mr. Dubois, the director of IVTB (Industrial and Vocational Training Board), which handles vocational training for the country. We introduced our organization, and he expressed his desire to help us run our program, including letting us use IVTB’s facilities.
He then spoke with us about the activities of IVTB. IVTB mainly takes in kids who are in the pre-vocational track in public schools. These are usually kids who have failed their CPE’s (qualifying examinations for secondary school). IVTB offers a number of programs, including:
-Automotive Engineering
-Building and Utility Maintenance
-Electronics and Telecommunications
-Food and Beverages Services
-Hospitality and Tourism Management
-Industrial Engineering
-IT and Multimedia
-Printing and Graphic Design
-Textile Production
-Wood Technology
IVTB requires several years of prevocational training before acceptance into the institute, and cannot legally take anyone under the age of 16. However, by partnering with their faculty and facilities, we hope to find a place to work with kids, and to find lasting partnerships with these institutes. We would also like to set up a program whereby kids will receive certificates from IVTB for participating in Fellows projects, something which Mr. Dubois said can definitely be arranged. Giving kids certificates will both make them feel like they have accomplished something, and give them a shot at applying to IVTB in the future.
IVTB may also be a career track for some kids who have failed out of the public school system. While IVTB normally requires a passing CPE score in order to grant admission, they do also allow in some students with good portfolios of work. If Fellows can help kids put together portfolios, we can give these kids a good chance of making it into IVTB, and from there securing a job and a future.