Tertiary Education Minister Fazal Karim has told participants at the fourth National Consultation on the Framework for Tertiary Education and Skills Training 2015-2025 that the European Union Fund has granted $1.5 million for establishment of the Centre for Workforce Research and Development (CWRD).The centre will be opened next month and will provide "real time information on labour markets", he said.
The CWRD will be the national workforce hub for all "data driven decisions" regarding the labour market and its needs to develop the national workforce, Karim said in his contribution at the National Consultations which ended yesterday at the Cipriani Labour College.
Karim called on Finance Minister Larry Howai to "consider increasing GATE contributions for certain categories of study at the postgraduate level." Currently, GATE covers 50 per cent of tuition for postgraduate students. While there have been increasing concerns about the continuation of the GATE funding, Karim assures that not only will it be "secured and expanded" but "made more accountable."