From left: Permanent Secretary, Training Administration Division (TAD), Esworth Reid; Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator Darcy Boyce; Head of the Civil Service and Chairman of the Training Committee, Sonja Welch; and Fay-Marie Browne, Deputy Principal Training Officer with the TAD, speaking at the launch.
THE Training Administration Division (TAD) is being commended for the valuable work it has been doing over the last five decades to develop a public service this country can be proud of.
Delivering the feature address on Monday at an event at the Hilton Hotel to mark the Training Administration Division’s 50th Anniversary and the launch of its Internet-based Learning Technologies, Senator Darcy Boyce, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, said the Division has worked assiduously and continues to do so as it seeks to ensure that training and other training-related services reflect not only the current, but future needs of public officers. This, he said, guarantees that they are well equipped to assist in building our nation.
Senator Boyce noted that the Division has contributed to the achievement of excellence and professionalism in the public service through its provision of consultancy training services offered to ministries and departments; local in-service training products designed and delivered to reflect the needs of the public service; and a training loan fund facility to provide public officers with funding to assist with personal and professional development courses of study. Moreover, he said it has provided “dynamic and strategic training” and study leave policies to assist organisational performance and continued professional development of public officers.
“The Training Administration Division after 50 years of existence must be applauded for its record of responding to the needs of the public service of Barbados and by extension, contributing to the economic and social well-being of our nation. Your theme for the celebration of this milestone is “Chapter 50: Entering the E-Environment”. It is a theme which in my view is both highly appropriate and relevant as it suggests a reflection on the past, but more importantly, the chronicling of a new era and an alternate direction to learning and development. It is good to know where one has come from and to put to good use the lessons learned,” the Minister stated.
He noted that the first 50 years of the TAD would have been focused on helping this nation transition from a monoculture plantation type economy to a more diversified one, driven by knowledge and innovation. He made the point while noting that a similar transition has taken place in the public service, which has moved from being just a few ministries in 1966 to 16 ministries within the current Administration.
“…The Government has sought to improve and modernise its range of services with the introduction of a number of reforms, and in particular, digital initiatives. The utilisation of digital technology has promising prospects for Barbados; it has the potential to lead the development and growth process on all fronts, especially in an age when the world economy is turning to digitalisation and where information and communications technologies are becoming the cornerstones of our society, promoting more sustainable and competitive growth and development,” he indicated. (JRT)