 The CVQs, or Caribbean Vocational Qualifications, are certifications recognized by CARICOM and administered by the Caribbean Examinations Council CXE that are grounded on the fundamentals of particular fields of labour. The certification well-recognized throughout the region enables a recipient to work anywhere in the qualified field within CARICOM in order to prepare for the mammoth task of training 3,000 secondary school students under what their CVQs. A preliminary meeting was recently conducted by the Human Capital Resilience Project, with all major stakeholders held at the Mount of Prayer in Cobra Rail. According to Project Manager of the St. Lucia Human Capital Resilience Project, Dr. Rufina Federick-Felicinier, the project funded by the World Bank, is expected to transform the TVET sector in St. Lucia from a supply-driven to a more demand-driven sector. Through this project, the government is seeking to strengthen resilience of its population and address issues of poverty, vulnerability to shocks, youth unemployment by pursuing a two-prong strategy focused on improving labour market relevant skills. As part of its TVET thrust, the Ministry of Education plans to transform four secondary schools on the island into model TVET institutions. The management of TVET nationally as well as the administration of the CVQs is being handled through the St. Lucia TVET Council, an important aspect of obtaining a Caribbean vocational qualification. According to the Quality Assurance Specialist with the St. Lucia TVET Council, Dr. Catherine Clifford is the assessment component. You can't be assessed without having evidence that you actually did that training and you took part in all the activities or the competencies of the occupational area. So that is why you must have a portfolio and that portfolio is not an afterthought. After you were trained that you're going to just whip things together or copy and paste from the internet or just go out there and take random pictures. That's not what it is. Officials say disadvantaged students can receive financial assistance to benefit from the program and earn a CVQ. Jackie Mills, who is the social and environmental specialist with the Human Capital Resilience Project, says this will extend to students receiving transportation support as well. We have to ensure that they get to their centres and get back home safe. We also provide meal allowance. Child care support is also provided in terms of we don't want anybody who wants to say, well, I have kids. I need this support to ensure that I can pursue my food and my education. So this is in place. We provide supply materials and tools. This component of the project will be facilitated by teachers already trained through the Immersion Program of the Human Capital Resilience Project. It is hoped that coming out of this meeting, a clear plan will be formulated to promote and expand the offerings of CVQs, not just to secondary school students, but the wider St. Lucian community. From the Communications Unit of the Department of Education, Innovation and Vocational Training, I am Chris Satney reporting.