Acknowledgements

This book on the national training agency concept as a form of governance for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) grew out of collaboration between the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) of UNESCO in Paris and the HEART Trust/National Training Agency in Kingston, Jamaica. Such a venture involves a number of interdependencies that must be mentioned.

The initiative for this work emerged from contacts established between IIEP and the Human Employment and Resource Training (HEART) Trust/National Training Agency (NTA), in 1993, while the Institute was preparing a subregional workshop on Policy and planning for vocational education and training that took place the same year, in Barbados. The idea of conducting a joint study on the Jamaican experience in training governance was born at that time. From the beginning, Mr Robert Gregory, Executive Director of the HEART Trust/NTA, understood the importance of such a project for the international community. He deserves credit for encouraging the participation of the agency.

During the implementation of this study, IIEP, through Mr David Atchoarena, was contracted under the project Strengthening the Vocational Training System in Jamaica (Germany/Jamaica) to assist in formulating a financial approach to a new apprenticeship training programme for Jamaica. This assignment was sponsored by the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ). GTZ project staff, Messrs. Volker Paul (Resident Technical Adviser) and Paul Wolterstorff (Consultant), who are closely involved in the planning of vocational training in Jamaica, provided valuable support and their contributions are acknowledged.

Staff members of the HEART Trust/NTA Planning and Project Development Division, including Messrs. Charles Clayton, Kerron Lindo, Raymond Mills and Mrs Dawn Brown, are also recognized for their contributions in providing data and office support to the effort

This study also benefited from the assistance of staff members of the UNESCO Kingston office. They contributed time and energy in the preparation and implementation of IIEP's missions to Jamaica.