Sint Maarten is moving ahead with reforms aimed at making vocational education better match the needs of the local labor market.
The Council of Ministers and the Temporary Work Organization have approved a plan of action to strengthen vocational secondary education and improve the transition from school into employment.
A key part of the reform will be activating the Council of Education and Labor, which will advise government on labor-market trends, training needs and which education programmes should be prioritized.
The project will also review the current PSVE and SBO systems, identify gaps and overlaps, update curricula and strengthen career guidance for students.
Education Minister Melissa Gumbs says the goal is to make sure young people are being trained for real opportunities in the economy, while also ensuring the new council becomes an active working body rather than one that exists only on paper.
Over the coming months, government plans to establish the project team, begin labor-market research, prepare membership for the new council and start the first curriculum-renewal activities.