By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Technical and Vocational Institute’s president Dr Robert Robertson says he doesn’t expect the institution will fully return to face-to-face learning despite declining COVID-19 infection rates, noting “the future of technical training is actually blended” learning.

According to Dr Robertson, a recent survey conducted by the school found most students preferred the hybrid model of learning.

He also said it was this survey that helped influence the school’s decision to continue with the blended environment.

“In terms of the pandemic, BTVI is different than like a high school, so we don’t really anticipate that we’ll go back fully face-to-face,” he said. “In fact, we have had student surveys to say that we don’t want to go back face-to-face so the future of technical training is actually blended so the theory will be covered online basically for the most part.

“But then we have these boot camps where we bring people in and they do the hands-on work face-to-face. In addition, they’re also simulation devices you can use for a lot of the work and that’s what’s happening in industries, so we have to be cognizant of what the advance moves of industries are and stay with them so we’re not going to switch a flip and go back face-to-face. We’re going to gradually go back but continue with the theory part at least online.”

Schools and colleges were shut down across the country in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many were teaching virtually throughout the pandemic and just recently returned fully or in part to in person learning earlier this year due to declining cases.

Last month, University of The Bahamas announced plans to resume face-to-face learning in May.

Although BTVI does not plan to fully resume in-person learning anytime soon, Dr Robertson said the institution continues to undertake initiatives to provide better opportunities to Bahamians, with plans to offer more courses this year.

“There are a number of key areas in the country that need certified people to work in those areas, one of them, for example, is in allied health so we’re working in Doctors Hospital to try to come up with some programmes basically like health management in terms of data and licensed practical nurses, those type of things so we’ll be doing that,” the BTVI president said.

“In addition, we’re working with the Office of the Prime Minister on another exciting initiative to develop an environmental technician. That’s a very important initiative as climate change is a big deal for countries around the world and so we’re working to put together an environmental technician programme that will likely start as early as summer of 2022.

“There’s also interest in aviation as an island nation. People use planes to get around a lot and there’s not a lot of ability to repair those planes in the country so we’re working with a couple of companies on the possibility of providing some aviation training here at BTVI as well so we’re constantly trying to respond to the needs of businesses and industry, obviously within our financial constraints, but we really want to stay up what’s happening in the country so we’re looking at those three areas right now.”