On Friday, May 18, Niagara College welcomed delegates from Saint Lucia to the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus.
Pictured from left to right: manager of global business development Jill De Witte; associate dean of NC’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute Gary Torraville; Consul General of Saint Lucia Cheryl Francis, NC president Dan Patterson; the Honourable Gale T.C. Rigobert, PhD, St. Lucia Minister of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development; professor John McTavish, PhD; broker and advisory specialist at Colliers International (Niagara) Limited Don Wilson; associate director of global strategy Abbas Sumar; and NC student from Saint Lucia Cassey Fevriere, who is graduating this June with a diploma in computer programming.
Visitors included the Honourable Gale T.C. Rigobert, PhD, St. Lucia Minister of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations, and Sustainable Development; and Cheryl Francis, Consul General of Saint Lucia.
The Saint Lucian delegates were received by NC president Dan Patterson, associate dean of NC’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute Gary Torraville, associate director of global strategy Abbas Sumar, manager of global business development Jill De Witte, and professor John McTavish, PhD. Don Wilson, broker and advisory specialist at Colliers International (Niagara) Limited, was also in attendance due to his specialization in the Caribbean hotel market and his ability to provide local market knowledge through his international connections. While at NC, the delegates also met with a student from Saint Lucia, Cassey Fevriere, who is graduating this June with a diploma in computer programming.
The visit follows a recent mission by the College to Saint Lucia in March 2018 to identify global engagement opportunities for NC students and staff. During their visit, NC staff members met with members of Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association, Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) and the Organization for Eastern Caribbean States.
“During the visit we were able to connect about our shared interest in the intersection between gender inclusion and education as a driver for economic development and innovation,” said de Witte. “The Saint Lucia visit provided insights into the different approaches across the Caribbean to move this agenda forward and together we identified opportunities where Niagara College may be able to collaborate with institutions in St. Lucia to continue to promote change.”
Deliberations were held regarding opportunities for two-way academic cooperation between Saint Lucia and Niagara College, promoting student and faculty mobility. The minister’s vision for a gender and socially-inclusive St. Lucia was also discussed, leveraging education at the K-12 and postsecondary education level as a driver. In addition, the day featured discussions of positioning Sir Arthur Lewis Community College to take on a greater education leadership role across the East Caribbean States through its own transformation to a global education leader. Due to the importance of the resorts sector in Saint Lucia, discussions were inspired by supporting increased Human Resources Development through tourism education in Saint Lucia as it would place SALCC at the centre of economic development and job creation.
This sentiment of transforming training opportunities to align with industry needs resembles Niagara College’s collaborative partnerships and projects in Jamaica, in the Americas and Asia; developing life and job skills contribute to the prosperity of economies and has a ripple effect in the communities.
McTavish is one of many faculty members who have contributed to global Technical Vocational Education and Training projects, previously working with Centro de Formacion Agricola Moquegua (CFAM) and Luis E. Valcárcel Institute of Higher Technical Education in Peru as well as industrial mechanics training in Bolivia.
“It is very rewarding to contribute to global projects as they allow me to grow as an educator as well as personally,” said McTavish. “Working abroad has enhanced my life view and expanded my understanding of our world as a global marketplace, further developing my cultural competence. I look forward to the potential of working further with Saint Lucia on their vision for Sir Arthur Lewis Community College.”
Niagara College will continue to strengthen its partnerships with Eastern Caribbean States and build upon its reputation as Canada’s global college through its engagement and support of Technical Vocational Education and Training around the world.
