Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has been positioned as a major contributor to national development in the  Caribbean (Chaplin, 2006;  McIntosh, 2008; Miller, 1998; O’Lawrence, 2008). The discourse about TVET has been laudatory in the main, acclaiming the potential benefits of vocational education in particular and underscoring it as a transformational tool in the educational firmament, particularly with respect to practical training pursued in light of the imperatives of nation building.

In this paper a cross-disciplinary WAC curricular and pedagogical approach is proposed and the challenges and opportunities presented by an interdisciplinary WAC approach investigated. Conceptual research methods were used and a critical education theoretical perspective pressed into service to navigate the issues. It is shown that generally, traditional academic and organizational orthodoxies do not allow for curricular transformation, hence the need for a supportive institutional culture. The need for a learner-centred higher education landscape is therefore underscored.

This reflective essay looked at the critical friends approach to faculty development, in particular, its role in enhancing teaching skills and reflection in a Certificate in University Teaching and Learning project. The paper drew on the experiences of teaching staff, engaging in a faculty development project and used the insights from actual practice to corroborate the literature and advance the conversation on critical friends. The experience of learning throughout the faculty development project was enhanced by reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action.