Mr. Fazal Karim was first appointed a Senator and Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education on May 28, 2010. He would later be appointed Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training. Mr. Karim would later be elected to the House of Representatives as the Member for Chaguanas East in the 11th Republican Parliament (2015 to 2020).

Mr. Karim is a visionary and transformational leader with over twenty years of performance based on solid educational, training and experiential learning. He is highly successful in leading and managing teams of professionals in several large-scale, long-term projects, including the development of Labour Market Information, Industry Standards, Quality Assurance & Accreditation, National Apprenticeships, and Information Technology.

Mr. Karim served as Business Development Manager at the University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus for two years and for seven years prior to that was the Chief Executive Officer at the National Training Agency where he was responsible for the coordinating, monitoring and evaluating of Technical & Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Trinidad & Tobago. He was also the former CEO of YTEPP, and Senior Coordinator and Deputy Director of the UWI School of Continuing Studies.

He established and managed an extensive network of relationships with individuals and stakeholder organizations in the public and private sectors for procuring buy-in, support and commitment of their participation in projects for sector specific and national benefit.

He also managed large training institutions involved in the development and implementation of educational and training programmes and negotiated with international financial bodies such as the World Bank to secure project financing for the Youth Training and Employment Partnership Programme (YTEPP).

His track record reflects one of outstanding career growth and progress through various organizations involved in education and training and including senior executive corporate responsibilities at the level of Board of Directors, including BWIA West Indies Airways Ltd., Caroni 1975 Ltd and The Trinidad and Tobago Development Finance Company Ltd.

He provided consultancy services to various regional governments in the areas of Human Development including the UNDP/Government of Guyana - a Baseline Survey Consultancy entitled Enhanced Public Trust, Security and Inclusion Programme, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda as an Education Consultant with Cambridge Education for the Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education Project (STAVEP) and the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the revision of the Labour Administration in support of the computerization of its administrative records and enhancing the provision of services in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Labour Market Information Systems)

Mr. Karim held many professional appointments including Chairman, Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies (CANTA) (2007); Member, Cabinet-appointed Oversight Committee for the Construction Sector (2005-2007); Chairman, Committee for the Establishment of the Multi-sector Skills Training (MuST) Programme (2004); Chairman, Cabinet Appointed Committee to review the Draft Policies on Tertiary Education, Training and Distance Learning (2004); Member, Committee for the Establishment of National Apprenticeship System (On-the-Job Training Programme) (2002); Deputy Chairman, Cabinet Appointed Committee for the Establishment of the Accreditation Commission of Trinidad & Tobago (2001); Technical Adviser, Inter-ministerial Committee for Dollar-for-Dollar Tertiary Education Plan (2001); Chairman, Cabinet Appointed Committee – Employment Training Programme (ETP) (2001) and Member, Committee for the Implementation of Distance Education in Trinidad & Tobago (1996).

His Educational Profile includes a Certificate in Executive Education - Leading Professional Service Firms from the Harvard Business School (2005); an Executive MBA from UWI IOB (2002); an Executive Certificate from the National University of Singapore (1998); a Certificate, School Management (1994); Diplomas in Public Administration (1993), Educational Administration (1987) and Management Studies I (1981) and a Bachelor Degree (Economics) (1978) from the UWI.

Mr. Karim presented in many regional and international forums including those hosted by IVETA, UNESCO, UNEVOC, CANTA, COHSOD/CARICOM, CINTERFOR/ILO and OAS.

Mr. Karim passed away in January of 2024.