Cole Bay:--- Monday the 25th Minister Silveria Jacobs officially opened a conference for Advanced Vocational Education at Port de Plaissance.
The conference was held from Monday the 25th till Wednesday the 27th and focused on strengthening the cooperation in Advanced Vocational Education (SBO) between St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire.
Stakeholders from all islands compared their present programs to ensure that students who wish to do so can stream smoothly from one program into a higher level program on another island. To ensure broad recognition for all programs was also an important discussion point. Several work-groups have been formed that will work out proposals for a structured dissemination of information and sharing of ideas.
The conference has been financed through a small grant of the Dutch Ministry of Education OCW, administered by USONA, in order to foster cooperation between the Caribbean Dutch islands and St Maarten in the area of on advanced vocational education.
St. Maarten will have its own Advanced Vocational Institute within soon. The construction of the building will be completed Mid May 2013 and the new board for the AVE institute has had its first meeting on Friday March the 22nd. New AVE courses can be offered in school year 2013-2014. Besides AVE programs the institute will also provide adult education in the future.