The School of Sustainable Agriculture and Culinary Arts – part of the Saint Lucia TVET Unit, hosted a dynamic exhibition at the Blue Coral Mall on Thursday, showcasing the creativity and talents of its students. The event featured a range of locally made products, including dehydrated eggs, jams, and sea moss, developed through the school’s agro processing program.
The exhibition aimed to empower youth and promote sustainable agriculture, with the funds generated being reinvested into students to further develop their skills and initiatives.
“We gave the students an assignment last term to create a product,” said Sonia Bispack, Coordinator at the Technical Vocational Education & Training (TVET) Unit. “The Ministry of Agriculture picked it up, we had an agri-pitch competition… and the students showcased the products they came up with. We felt it was good enough to show other people so that’s what we’re doing here today.”
Most of the participants were form five students. According to Bispack, “If they’re able to get sponsors and get persons interested in their products, they can actually start their own businesses as soon as they leave school so it’s a win-win situation.”
The School of Sustainable Agriculture and Culinary Arts is committed to nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators in the agricultural sector. “We’re going to pump the money (that we made) right back into the students,” said Bispack.
Formerly known as the Grande Riviere Secondary School, the School of Sustainable Agriculture and Culinary Arts was transformed into a TVET institution allowing it to become a hub of innovation and skill development.
The principal goal of TVET is to provide students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to either join the workforce after graduation or to further their education or training in a specific field. This involves extensive planning, development, and implementation of a curriculum that is designed to foster these competencies.
TVET is also tasked with implementing two significant qualifications in schools – the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) and National Vocational Qualification (NVQ). These qualifications are industry-driven and are designed to ensure students have the practical skills required in the real world.
