Official green light to ROA-SBO

WILLEMSTAD,  6 November 2019 – With the issuing of copies for the nomination decree (benoemingslandsbesluit) to the members based on the National Ordinance for Secondary Vocational Training and Education (P.B. 2008, no. 37), the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports (ESCS), Mrs. Marlyn Alcala-Wallé gave the official green light to the established Council of Education and Labor Market (ROA) on Tuesday 5 November. The Director of the Secretarial Office SER/ROA/GOA, Mr. Raul Henriquez was also present on this occasion. The task of the ROA is to advise the Minister of ESCS and other Ministers on ways to optimize the transition between the Secondary Vocational Education (SBO) and the employment market and on topics related with education and labor market. In accordance with article 11 of the National decree ROA (P.B. 2019, no.20) the Secretarial Office SER/ROA/GOA is responsible for the secretariat of the ROA.

The following persons were appointed as members of the ROA-SBO for a period of two years: Ms. Bionda Fonseca and Mr. Raymond Jamanika (on behalf of employers), Mr. Edward St. Jacobs and Mr. Kenneth Valpoort (on behalf of employees) and Mr. Ruud Thuis, Mrs. Melrose Cornelia-Ortela and Mrs. Feiijidi Narvaez-Ayubi (independent experts).

Previously, the SER recommended setting up the ROA-SBO as a hybrid organization, with tasks as set out in the National Ordinance of Secondary Vocational Training and Education in combination with the tasks previously performed by the Kenniscentrum Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven (KBB) in the field of tutoring teachers and the certification of apprenticeships within the framework of vocational training (internships). The SER also recommended setting up a higher independent advisory board of experts in addition to the ROA-SBO, with for example the name “Future of Work and Education” (TWE).

The task of the higher advisory board TWE,  which should be established based on article 72 of the Constitution, would be to analyze and translate into advice concerning education and labor market policies, in view of the speed and potential impact of technological changes and other mega trends on issues related to the transition between education and the employment market (including globalization and sustainability), trends in labor demand on the local and international labor market and trends within the entire education system – and not just only SBO. The advice given in the field of education policy should cover all phases and levels of education, aiming at developing skills for a future labor market and the organization of the education system, in order for this to connect as well as possible. TWE should give solicited or unsolicited advice to the government and the Parliament inter- sectorial about the outlines of education and labor market policies. Of course, TWE should keep in touch with the ROA-SBO that is now operational.

On the picture from left to right: Cor de Graaff (staff member of the Minister of ESCS), Raul Henriquez, Bionda Fonseca, Edward St. Jacobs, Minister Alcala-Walle, Feiijidi Narvaez-Ayubi, Kenneth Valpoort, Suzanne Larmonie (Policy Director ESCS) and Wladimir Kleinmoedig (Director Implementation Organization Education and Science of the Ministry of ESCS.