CXC enlists Caribbean employers to raise profile of skills-based certificates

The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has begun working alongside employers across the region to improve how competency-based credentials are valued in the workplace. Programmes in scope include the Caribbean Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) framework and the recently introduced Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC).

Officials say the effort is meant to bring training closer to what industries require and to widen job prospects for young people leaving school with skills-based awards rather than conventional academic papers alone.

Pro-Registrar and Deputy Chief Executive Officer Dr. Eduardo Ali outlined the approach while visiting Dinthill Technical High School in St. Catherine on Tuesday, 12 May, to watch the pilot delivery of CTEC Mathematics Module One. He told observers that learners still face strong pressure to pursue traditional terminal examinations because of entrenched views about which certificates count for jobs and further study.

Changing that outlook, he argued, is essential if students are to be ready for university-level programmes and for workplaces that increasingly prize applied ability.

Dr. Ali said feedback from employers suggests many firms in the Caribbean already accept competency-led training and skills certification. Hiring managers, he noted, are placing greater weight on whether candidates can perform in role than on examination passes alone, especially in sectors that depend on up-to-date technical know-how.

To deepen employer engagement, CXC plans to roll out an Occupational and Skills Intelligence Survey aimed at businesses throughout the Caribbean. The instrument is designed to collect current labour-market intelligence on jobs that exist today, roles that are emerging, skills that will be in demand, and broader industry shifts.

According to Dr. Ali, responses will help the Council pin down the competencies required for entry-level posts in areas such as manufacturing and financial services. Those insights would then feed into how syllabuses and assessments are designed.

Survey findings are also expected to speak to worries raised by tertiary institutions about how CTEC results compare with Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) grades and whether CTEC graduates are adequately prepared for advanced study.

Separately, Dr. Ali said CXC is deploying data-intelligence systems so governments can make sharper choices about spending on education and supporting infrastructure. Through the CXC Data Intelligence Gateway, authorities can review indicators at national, school, subject, and student levels to spot where targeted intervention is needed.

He added that the Council is adopting newer approaches—including artificial intelligence, gamification, and authentic assessment—to change how teaching and testing are delivered and to encourage learners to treat digital devices as instruments for learning instead of distractions from it.