Continued from previous page As unpredictable as this year has been, what would have been the technological outlook of the BVTB at the end of a 2020 with no major disruptions? As unpredictable as this year has been, what would have been the technological outlook of the BVTB at the end of a 2020 with no major disruptions? Would we have been content to continue as we were, with only the occasional use of technology in training as the need arose? Upon examination of the recent expansion into technology to assist with remote work and learning, the BVTB has invented no new wheels, nor have we innovated beyond the point of other schools. Much of this technology has been around for some time but was optional; not deemed as necessary to accomplish the required tasks, and certainly not considered worth the money and extra effort to learn and become proficient in its use, nor to completely redesign business processes and teaching curricula and methods. The BVTB is not alone in this way of operating; far from it, prior to the forced distancing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic we utilised technology to a greater extent than many training institutions in Barbados. However, a certain complacency does creep into day-to-day procedures and it is only when forced to change that a greater use of technology is embraced and made a priority. In the future, the year 2020 will represent not only grief but for a long time will be regarded as the year that is representative of the greatest leaps and bounds in the adoption of technology. Those organisations that fail to recognise this will not survive or thrive as they will no longer be able to compete against those that took the necessary steps. The same is true in the educational arena. The pandemic has for a short time levelled the playing field within education in Barbados and the institutions that innovate the most and the quickest will have the most to offer when we come out on the other side. This will increase their desirability to the student population for which they all compete and will ensure their rise to the top of the academic and vocational arenas. Janelle S. Harewood is the Systems Network Administrator of the Barbados Vocational Training Board and has been for the past 14 years. She spends her days fighting technology fires, and charting the course for future ICT expansion in a way that would be meaningful to all who use and benefit from it. She is an ICT professional with 18 years’ experience in designing, building and managing networks, and computer systems administration. Her educational background includes a BSc. Computer Science and Management, an MSc. Computer Systems Security, and several industry certifications in the field of networking and ICT security which remains her area of passion. 10
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