Established in 1999, the National Training Agency (NTA) serves as the single, national institution with full responsibility and authority for the planning, co-coordinating and regulation of technical and vocational education and training in Trinidad and Tobago. The NTA fulfills this mandate via:

i. The promotion of technical and vocational education and training,

ii. The identification of training needs based upon labour market research,

iii. The establishment and maintenance of national occupational standards for TVET,

iv. The establishment and maintenance of a national qualifications framework for TVET,

v. The development of a quality assurance and accreditation mechanism for TVET,

vi. Collaboration and consultation with relevant training institutions, professional bodies and employers,

vii. The rationalisation of skills training to minimise duplication and overlap,

viii. The development, maintenance and regulation of a system of apprenticeship and traineeship,

ix. The collaboration with stakeholders to develop and implement programmes or systems to encourage innovation, entrepreneurship, and the satisfaction of market demands, and

xi. Advising key stakeholders on matters related to TVET.

Overall, the NTA's role in education and training is to ensure that Trinidad and Tobago has a workforce that is certified, competent, innovative, enterprising and entrepreneurial, and capable of contributing to the continued development of Trinidad and Tobago.

The mission of the NTA is to regulate and harmonise the quality, relevance and efficiency of the TVET system to support sustainable national and regional development and global competitiveness. Its vision is to be a key facilitator for the development of a highly-skilled, enterprising and globally competitive workforce in support of sustainable economic and social development.