News Releases

UWI and MPA sign historic MOU to Support the Upskilling of Public Officers

For Release Upon Receipt - July 18, 2024

St. Augustine


ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago. July 18,  2024 – "Our purpose in formalising the partnership between our campus and the Ministry of Public Administration represents a significant step in creating a framework for cooperation and establishing a training programme for the public service," stated Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, The University of the West Indies (The UWI), St. Augustine Campus before signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday 8th July 2024 with Mr. Claudelle Mc Kellar, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Administration (MPA). The signing ceremony took place at the Office of the Campus Principal, St Augustine. Senator the Honourable Allyson West, Minister of Public Administration, as well as representatives from the Ministries of Public Administration, Ministry of Education, and The UWI, were present.

This MoU will create a framework for the identification and assessment of the learning and development needs of the Trinidad and Tobago Public Service; as well as the development and implementation of bespoke, demand-driven curricula to build the capacity of the Public Service and foster continuous improvements in service delivery. The establishment and implementation of this Learning and Development Programme for the Public Service aims to significantly increase the capacity for the delivery of training courses for public servants, through the Public Service Academy, a division of the MPA.

In the first cohort, approximately 3,000 Public Servants from various levels across the public service, including junior staff, mid-level managers, and senior executives, will be targeted to benefit from these online courses, with the objective being to provide training up to 9,000 civil servants in each year of the programme. Participants will benefit from accredited, undergraduate and postgraduate courses in subject areas such as Project Management, Policy Development, Leadership and Conflict Management, Public Sector Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Social Services Management, Business Communication, Digital Literacy, Facilities Management, Public Speaking, and Events Management. The courses will be facilitated by lecturers at The UWI.

At the signing, Senator the Honourable Allyson West, Minister of Public Administration, spoke on the importance of these fundamental partnerships to enhancing service excellence throughout the government. “The Ministry of Public Administration is here to ensure that the Public Service works well…it’s about fixing what exists, making things better, continuously improving. We cannot improve the performance of the staff unless we provide them with the required training that facilitates continuous improvement,” Minister West explained. She also touched on some of the other key initiatives being developed by the Ministry, including a modern e-Human Capital Management system, which would assist with career planning and training needs identification.

During her remarks, the Campus Principal commended the MPA and spoke of the importance of these educational partnerships to national development. “This collaboration intends to equip public officers with the necessary skills and expertise to tackle modern public service challenges by imparting comprehensive training and knowledge,” Professor Antoine shared at the signing. She hailed this initiative as the brainchild of Minister West. Professor Antoine also highlighted, “Our purpose in formalising the partnership between our campus and the Ministry of Public Administration represents a significant step in creating a framework for cooperation and establishing a training programme for the public service. One of the main objectives is to support the modernisation effort of the Public Service Academy, which is tasked with conducting training and development of public officers.”

The three-year MOU between both organisations is part of The UWI’s continued commitment to the national development, and deepening the over 30-year history of supporting the MPA through degree programmes and training workshops. 

Notes to Editor

 

Photo 1 : [L-R] Senator the Honourable Allyson West, Minister of Public Administration and Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, The UWI St. Augustine Campus at the signing ceremony.

 

Photo 2: Mr. Claudelle Mc Kellar, Permanent Secretary, MPA signs the MOU with Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, The UWI St. Augustine Campus. Looking on is Senator the Honourable Allyson West, Minister of Public Administration.

 

Photo 3: Front row (L-R) Mr. Claudelle Mc Kellar, Permanent Secretary, MPA, Senator the Honourable Allyson West, Minister of Public Administration and Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, The UWI St. Augustine Campus along with representatives from The UWI St. Augustine Campus and MPA.

 

Photo 4: Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, The UWI St. Augustine Campus addresses the audience at the signing ceremony.

About The University of the West Indies

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development, residing at the center of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for over 75 years.

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with nearly 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Global Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The UWI offers over 1000 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and the wider world.

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the best in the world by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). Since The UWI’s 2018 debut in THE’s rankings, it has performed well in multiple schemes—among them including World University Rankings, Golden Age University Rankings (between 50 and 80 years old), Latin America Rankings, and the Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Well-being; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

Learn more at www.uwi.edu   

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