L-R: Michaeline Narcisse, Kristle Gangadeen, Nancy Bernard, H.E. Michael Callan, Sylvie Bédard, Kern Dass, Kofi Toney, Feida Mohammed-Harnanan, Zaid S. Mohammed.
NESC Technical Institute was pleased to host a distinguished delegation from the High Commission of Canada on a courtesy visit to its Point Lisas Campus on Tuesday 17th June 2025.
The visiting delegation was led by His Excellency Michael Callan, High Commissioner for Canada in Trinidad and Tobago, and Sylvie Bédard, Director General for Central America and the Caribbean at Global Affairs Canada along with other representatives from the High Commission of Canada.
During their visit, the delegation met with NESC-TI President Kern Dass and members of the executive team to discuss strategic priorities in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and the role of international partnerships in advancing economic development across the Caribbean. The visit also included a tour of the institute’s workshops, highlighting NESC-TI’s industry-aligned programmes in renewable energy, automotive and heavy equipment servicing, electrical and industrial mechanical maintenance.
The Canadian delegation expressed particular interest in learning more about NESC-TI’s longstanding partnership with Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP), based in Alberta, Canada. The relationship between NESC-TI and RDP dates back to 2008 and has evolved into a robust collaboration focused on expanding access to TVET training in the Caribbean. Together, NESC-TI and RDP are contributing to regional workforce development through joint efforts in the design and development of TVET facilities, faculty training, and curriculum development. NESC-TI and RDP have already established Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with several institutions to further support this regional mandate.
“We are honoured to host our Canadian colleagues,” said Dass. “NESC-TI values its partnership with Canadian institutions like RDP, whose collaboration has been vital to our work in building a skilled, globally competitive workforce here in Trinidad and Tobago. As we look to the future, we’re excited to continue this partnership to help expand access to high-quality technical training across the Caribbean.”
This visit reaffirmed the commitment of both countries to advancing technical education, enhancing bilateral cooperation, and strengthening the Caribbean’s capacity for innovation and sustainable development.