Maldives has achieved a remarkable development in their primary and secondary education with its adoption of the Educational Sector Plan (ESP) which further enacted an Education Act in 2020 and Higher Education Act in 2021. However, despite establishing an inclusive education system in the country, there is still a disparity in the transition from the lower secondary education to the higher secondary education. With this, the Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) together with the Maldives National Skills Development Authority (MNSDA) under the Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development (MoHELSD), conducted the In-Country Program on Development of Maldives National TVET Policy Framework. The program was held from June 2 to 6, 2024 at Hotel Meerumaa, Violet Magu, Male’, Republic of Maldives.
The pool of participants consisted of 60 TVET institute Chief Executive Officers (CEO), academic directors, director generals, managers, vocational sector council members, and experts in the area of TVET policy formulation in Maldives. With the key goal to provide a discussion space for the following representatives of TVET institutions in Maldives, the participants were expected to share their best practices within their TVET systems and develop an action plan in preparation of drafting their national TVET policy and framework.
The overall program was supervised by Prof. G.L.D. Wickramasinghe, CPSC Director General; and Dr. Zahra Mohamed, CEO of MNSDA, together with Program Coordinators Dr. Kesavan Ulaganathen, CPSC Governing Board-Engaged Faculty Consultant; Engr. Dr. Mian Khuram Ahsan, CPSC Senior Faculty Specialist; and Local Coordinator Mr. Mohamed Nasih, Manager of Haa Alif Technical Institute.
In the opening ceremony, Dr. Zahra extended her salutations to the participants and the distinguished guests on behalf of MNSDA. This was followed by Prof. Wickramasinghe who delivered a short welcome speech to greet the participants and expressed some words of appreciation to MNSDA for successfully organizing a physical ICP. The program’s Chief Guest Dr. Ahmed Mohamed, Minister of State for the Ministry of Education, gave an inspirational address for the participants.
The training program centered on workshops related to the crafting of TVET policy frameworks and strategic plans. Theme papers were also presented by Prof. Wickramasinghe, Dr. Kesavan, Engr. Dr. Mian, and Mr. Nasih along with Mr. Ahmed Shafeeu, Minister of State in MoHELSD; Ms. Shakeeba Ali, MNSDA Director General; Ms. Zooshan Kamaluddeen, CEO of Maldives Polytechnic; Ms. Aishath Hikma, Director General of Planning in MoHELSD; and Mr. Adam Haleem, Director of Maldives Institute of Technology. Dr. Kesavan and Engr. Dr. Mian facilitated the presentations of drafted TVET policy prepared by the groups in fulfillment of the workshops attended by the participants during the last day of the program.
Group photo of the participants together with the program organizers
The five-day training program concluded with the closing remarks addressed by Dr. Zahra and Prof. Wickramasinghe. This was followed by the awarding of certificates led by Mr. Mohamed Saeed, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, who also delivered a closing speech as Chief Guest. Finally, Mr. Mohamed Nasih, Local Coordinator expressed his gratitude to the participants involved in the program during his Vote of Thanks, as well as to CPSC and MNSDA for their shared efforts in further developing the TVET system in Maldives.
In addition, MNSDA hosted the 50th anniversary celebration of Maldivian TVET in conjunction with the training program organized for the country. In 1973 the Colombo Plan started its TVET agenda in the Republic of Maldives.
Prof. Wickramasinghe and Dr. Zahra cut the celebratory cake
