BRIDGETOWN, January 18, 2024 – The CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) has launched five e-learning courses, with a view to engaging more with academia to bring quality infrastructure education to youth and young professionals.
Speaking at the recent online launch of the Quality for Organisational Effectiveness and Sustainability (QOES) eLearning Programme, CROSQ CEO, Mr. Deryck Omar, said: “If quality infrastructure is to attract the kind of skilled and dedicated professionals that are necessary for the future success of our small island developing states, then it must include partnerships with academia. It must start with an understanding of how the pure and applied sciences, and even the social sciences, taught in our secondary and tertiary institutions can also direct graduates into the specialized field of Quality Infrastructure.”
Noting that CROSQ was on a path to developing active and fruitful partnerships with academia in coming years, Mr. Omar noted that the institution was also marketing quality infrastructure as a career development path for youth.
CROSQ’s QOES Programme Leader and Technical Officer, Quality Promotions, Ms. Latoya Burnham noted that under the 11th European Development Fund Technical Barriers to Trade Project, the five, free courses were geared mainly toward entry level professionals in quality-related institutions.
She said the courses developed by technical officers of the CROSQ Secretariat and from across the region include: Introduction to Quality Infrastructure, Standards Development – Essentials, Fundamentals of Metrology, Auditing for Quality Effectiveness, and, Quality Infrastructure: Marketing Communications.
Programme Manager with the European Union Delegation to Barbados, Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, Mr. Sheldon Jackman praised CROSQ and its partners on the EU-funded initiative.
“The development of these training courses come in response to recognised growth in demand by firms and other stakeholders in their use of quality systems to meet local, regional and international market requirements,” Mr. Jackman said.
He added: “Professionals in firms and staff of standard bodies who complete this course of study, will benefit from enhanced tools and best practices, in the respective areas of QI and close any knowledge gaps that may exist. This training, supports the overall objective of the TBT programme by increasing the use of internationally-recognised Quality Infrastructure by the regional and national quality institutions and by the private sector.”
Committing support to combatting technical barriers to trade in the region, the EU Delegation representative praised the 11th EDF-TBT Project managers, the German National Metrology Institute (PTB), as well as implementers CROSQ and the Dominican Republic’s Institute for Quality (INDOCAL), on the launch of the training programme.
PTB Project Coordinator, Dr. Sabine Greiner said the courses would assist in building knowledge of quality infrastructure amongst individuals who are interested in entering the quality infrastructure field, as well as continuing education for existing professionals in the region.
11th EDF – EPA Programme – TBT Component
“Support to CARIFORUM States in Furthering the Implementation of their Economic Partnership Agreement
Commitments and in Meaningfully Reaping the Benefits of the Agreement”
The first offering of the QOES programme ends in May 2024. Courses can be found at https://elearning.crosq.org.
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NB: Audio clips and video files can be accessed here:
About 11th EDF-TBT Project
Implementation of the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Component of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Programme started in September 2019. It is funded by the European Union, through the CARIFORUM Directorate, managed by the German National Metrology Institute (PTB) and jointly implemented by the PTB, CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards & Quality (CROSQ) and the Dominican Institute for Quality (INDOCAL).
The overall 11th EDF-EPA Programme’s objective is to contribute to the integration of the CARIFORUM into the world economy with the specific objective to facilitate the effective operation of the EPA. One means of ensuring the EPA provides the intended benefits to CARIFORUM States is through the improvement of trade and competitiveness by reducing TBTs, through a modernized national and regional Quality Infrastructure. The TBT Component aims to contribute to the Programme’s overall and specific objectives by increasing the use of internationally recognised Regional Quality Infrastructure (RQI) by the regional and national quality institutions and by the private sector. Benefits include the identification and closing of quality gaps in key sectors and organisations; the promotion of a quality culture in the region; and, the strengthening of the RQI.
Beneficiary Countries: Caribbean Forum of ACP States (CARIFORUM) and Montserrat: Antigua & Barbuda – The Bahamas – Belize – Dominica – Dominican Republic – Grenada – Guyana – Haiti – Jamaica – Montserrat – Saint Lucia – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Saint Kitts and Nevis – Suriname – Trinidad and Tobago
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