Upskilling in Dominica

The Adult Education Division supports adults with literacy, numeracy, basic preparation for post-secondary education or training, and job-related skills. Dominica State College offers short courses for upskilling and career change. Recent examples include modern joinery using PVC boards, farm management, basic tiling, basic electrical work, leadership and emotional intelligence, and cultural adaptations in the workplace. Registration takes place through the College's current channels or registration link, and places can be limited. An eight-week course documented in 2025 cost EC$300; other course fees vary. The Dominica TVET Council supports practical training and assessment in areas such as electricity, plumbing, commercial food preparation, nail technology and cosmetology, hair braiding, customer service, garment construction, fish handling and processing, and data operations. National Vocational Qualifications, or NVQs, recognise assessed occupational skills. Caribbean Vocational Qualifications, or CVQs, provide another regional skills framework; 15 CVQ Level 3 awards in construction site supervision were documented by 24 April 2025. A Center of Excellence in TVET was announced for 2026, but its operational status was not confirmed in the available information. Public officers can use the Establishment, Personnel and Training Department's Public Service Training Center, which publishes an annual calendar covering secretarial, executive, managerial, technical and professional skills. Ministries may use the Center, while private participants may be charged a fee. The National Employment Programme offers targeted employment options after training: Adult Education-to-Work can place graduates of specified adult-education skills programmes in employment for one year, while the On-the-Job Training and Mentorship Programme supports unemployed young people for one year with mentoring in tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and services. Youth Skills Training is a non-formal option for out-of-school unemployed youth and can combine job attachment, skills training, business skills and remedial support. The Employment and Training Act allows the Minister to provide training for young people and other employed or unemployed people and to cover all or part of its cost under stated conditions. Employers must release young employees for approved apprenticeship courses, and a prescribed apprenticeship can last no more than two years. This does not create a general right to free continuing education. Current enrolment conditions, calendars, fees and available places must be confirmed directly with the relevant provider because information is decentralised and not all programmes publish a consolidated schedule or fee list.