On the basis of market research on the use of technology in the Caribbean region, the University of the West Indies has partnered with two major vendors to bring relevant certified training to Trinidad and Tobago at reduced costs. The University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus having become the first Microsoft IT Academy Regional Center in the English speaking Caribbean, and a certified CISCO Academy, is now positioned to offer instructor-led certified training, using the same curriculum to which Europeans and North Americans are exposed. In addition with the introduction of video conferencing facilities, participants can be exposed to lectures and workshops from many worldwide venues.

As the Microsoft IT Academy Regional Center, the University will offer certification- based training to all of its registered students in addition to offering training to teachers in the primary and secondary school system. The Microsoft IT Academy will train the Office Specialist as well as the Professional. In the latter, students are offered skills to equip them for jobs using their skills on the Microsoft Developer or Server products. The shared branding of the University with Microsoft in offering the Microsoft curriculum guarantees the highest standards.

For the individual who needs to work at the level of the networking infrastructure the CISCO Academy is your answer. CISCO is the world leader in the supply of networking equipment and has certified the University as a CISCO Academy. Students attending the CISCO Academy at the St. Augustine Campus will be exposed to theory and hands-on simulations required for the efficient handling of networking devices.

In today’s technologically advanced world, it is each individual’s responsibility to ensure that they are exposed to relevant training. Information technology training can be done at many levels encompassing the networking infrastructure, hardware and software. Premier training in technology is not cheap and to this day it would normally require the individual to budget for travel, hotel and training expenses. This has limited the number of individuals that any company can expose to the needed training due to budgetary constraints. As a result, the pace at which our country can adapt to the new technologies has been hampered.

The University of the West Indies recognizes that as the higher education leader in the country, the creation of a knowledge-based society must begin in the schools. The Secondary schools face multiple challenges in equipping learners with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills. Not only must they identify meaningful vocational ICT courses that meet the needs of their students, their staff often needs to gain more confidence to deliver the curriculum effectively. It is envisioned that the schools must increasingly become the centre of the local communities, if our society is to be transformed. The growth of the country depends on having our students graduate from the secondary school system with appropriate training, ICT skills can be a valuable vocational route for many students.

In the context of building the knowledge-based society envisaged in the Vision 2020 Plan, the St. Augustine Campus is now positioned to offer premier ICT Knowledge on demand.