An inaugural health and wellness conference opened on Wednesday as the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council Barbados moved to strengthen the island’s workforce to meet the demands of an ageing population and a growing burden of chronic disease.
Held at the Hilton Hotel under the theme “Health, Education, and Promotion: Developing a Workforce that Supports Society and Ageing“, the high-level forum brings together policymakers, educators, and industry leaders.
The main aim of the three-day event is to rapidly upskill allied health practitioners and paraprofessionals to manage the dual pressures of changing demographics and a rising non-communicable disease (NCD) epidemic, which currently accounts for an estimated 80 per cent of all deaths in Barbados.
Left Permanent Secretary Ministry of Technological and Vocational Training Patrick McCaskie; Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Davidson Ishmael; Chairman TVET Council Dr Albert Best; Right: Executive Director TVET Council Henderson Eastman. (Photo credit: Ricardo Roberts/Barbados TODAY)
Opening the conference, TVET council chairman Dr Albert Best said the event is intended to strengthen human capacity and align training with current social needs.
“This occasion is particularly meaningful. Not only because it marks the launch of a key new initiative that will help to further the council’s mandate, but also because it brings together individuals and organisations that share a common understanding, which is health and wellness are foundational to national development, productivity and quality of life.”
Dr Best said the rationale for the conference is both straightforward and urgent, noting that Barbados is evolving rapidly, with citizens living longer while also facing persistent lifestyle-related challenges. He said more than a third of local adults have hypertension, while two-thirds are considered overweight or obese, leading to hundreds of millions of dollars in annual productivity losses.
“In response, the TVET Council has therefore positioned this conference to support the development of a competent, responsive and forward-thinking health and wellness workforce, particularly among paraprofessionals and allied practitioners who play a vital role in bridging the gaps in care, education, and outreach.
“This conference is therefore not simply an event; it is an intervention. It reflects our commitment to ensuring that training remains relevant, practical and align with the realities of our society.”
Executive Director Henderson Eastmond addressed the audience on the link between workforce health and national productivity.
Executive Director TVET Council, Henderson Eastman. (Photo credit: Ricardo Roberts/Barbados TODAY)
He pointed out that absenteeism can severely affect institutional performance, noting that if a significant portion of staff is absent on any given day, production drops and it heavily affects “the dollars and cents” in both the private and public sectors.
Today’s fast-paced technological and social environment demands more from education and training systems, making older approaches to qualifications less relevant, said Eastmond.
“Today’s gathering is not simply another calendar event,” Eastmond declared. “It is an intentional intervention in how we prepare our people, strengthen our institutions, and futureproof our workforce. Why are we, the TVET Council, involved? The manner of the council is clear. We oversee the development, coordination, and quality assurance of technical vocational education and training in Barbados. Focus — the focus on applied learning, to equip individuals with practical skills and competencies for employment and entrepreneurship.”
Eastmond also outlined how the event fits into the council’s long-term plans to expand continuous professional development (CPD) and modern certification methods across different areas of the Barbadian economy.
“Conferences are not merely platforms for information sharing,” Eastmond emphasised.
“They are in themselves powerful tools of lifelong learning and continuous professional development. They occupy a unique intersection between theory and practice, between knowledge and skills, between policy and implementation, and between reflection and action. In a rapidly evolving labour market where new skills are required almost as quickly as they’re defined, the concept of ‘one and done’ education has long since expired. Instead, we must embrace a culture of continuous learning, one that is deliberate, structured, and measurable.”
The conference will focus on key issues including the scale of the regional NCD crisis, home-based care, men’s and women’s health, and the use of new technologies that allow families to monitor elderly relatives remotely.
The event will shift from policy discussions to community outreach on Saturday with an interactive public Open Day aimed at connecting families with practitioners.
The conference ends on Sunday with a dinner and an awards ceremony to recognise excellence in the health and wellness field.
Stakeholders attending the Health and Wellness conference at the Hilton Barbados. (Photo credit: Ricardo Roberts/Barbados TODAY)
(RR)
