WILLEMSTAD– With the issuing of copies of the Nomination Decree to the recently appointed members of the new Council of Education and Labor Market (Raad voor Onderwijs en Arbeidsmarkt, ROA), which was established by National Decree in April of this year (Official Journal 2019, No. 20), last Tuesday, the 5th of November, 2019, the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (OWCS) of Curaçao the Honorable Mrs. Marylin Alcala-Wallé gave the official go-ahead for the ROA. The Director of the SER / ROA / GOA Secretariat Office, Mr. Raul Henriquez, was also present on this occasion. The ROA’s task is to advise the Minister of OWCS and other Ministers of Curaçao on pathways to optimize the connection of secondary vocational education (Secundair Beroepsonderwijs, SBO) to the labor market and on education and labor market issues. Pursuant to Article 11 of the ROA National Decree, the SER / ROA / GOA Secretariat Office of Curaçao is responsible for the ROA secretariat.
The following persons have been appointed members of the ROA for a period of two years: Ms. Bionda Fonseca and Mr. Raymond Jamanika (on behalf of employers), Mr. Edward St. Jacobs and Mr. Kenneth Valpoort (on behalf of employees), Mr. Ruud Thuis, Mrs. Melrose Cornelia-Ortela and Mrs. Feiijidi Narvaez-Ayubi (independent experts).
Previously, the Social Economic Council (SER) of Curaçao recommended setting up the ROA as a hybrid organization, with tasks as described in the National Ordinance on Secondary Vocational Education (SBO) (Official Journal 2008, no. 37) in combination with tasks previously performed by the Knowledge Center for Vocational Education and Training (Kenniscentrum Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven, KBB) in the area of teacher training and certification of apprenticeships within the framework of vocational training (internships). The SER of Curaçao also recommended setting up a higher independent advisory body of experts in addition to the ROA, for example with the name ‘Future of Work and Education’ (Toekomst van Werk en Educatie, TWE).
The task of the higher advisory body TWE, which should be established on the basis of Article 72 of the Constitution of Curaçao, would be, in view of the speed and potential impact of technological changes and other mega trends on issues related to the connection between education and the labor market (including globalization and sustainability), to analyze trends in labor demand on the local and international labor market and trends within the entire education system – and not just SBO – and translate them into advice on education and labor market policy. ,,Education policy advice should cover all phases and levels of education, aimed at developing competencies for a future labor market and the organization of education, so that this fits in as well as possible”, according to the advice of the SER.
TWE should offer solicited and unsolicited advices to the Government and Parliament on the main lines of education and labor market policies. Of course TWE should also keep in touch with the now operational ROA.
