Several businesses participated in the Career and Job Fair with some 200 job commitments, including 68 apprentices. According to host of 'NDP Radio' Eileene Parsons, she heard some six persons have since gained employment with the RVIPF. Photo: VINO

Minister for Education and Culture, Hon. Myron V. Walwyn. Photo: VINO

On Thursday February 9, 2012, hundreds of young unemployed youths took the opportunity to meet with prospective employers at the Career and Job Fair organized by the Ministry of Education and Culture and held at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex.

“I must say that a few persons did in fact get hired on the spot right there that Thursday, many had interviews for the next day and many are still waiting on the employers to call them back and so on. All in all it has been very good. I have been receiving many Facebook messages from people telling me that they were able to get job placements...So it’s working,” Minister Walwyn said on ‘NDP Radio’ on Monday February 20, 2012.

He also noted that the fair was successful due to the strong support from all members of Government and noted that among those in attendance at the fair were Premier Dr. D. Orlando Smith, Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Dr. Kedrick Pickering and Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Mark Vanterpool, who he said was able to sign fifty apprenticeship positions in the Ministry of Communications and Works. “So it did go well, we had over 200 young persons in attendance and over 30 employers, who had booths at the fair and the young people had the opportunity to interact and be interviewed by the businesses.”

Another positive of the job fair, it was said, is that the Association of Registered Agents is offering two scholarships for persons interested in studying Financial Services. Interested persons could make contact with the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Culture, Dr. Marcia Potter.

Hon. Walwyn also disclosed that Government has retained the services of Mr. Albert Wheatley, who was a coordinator in the job fair programme, to help with the placement programme to make sure it continues. “He will act as a liaison person between employers and the young people to ensure that we work out all the kinks that would inevitably occur.”

One of the things, Hon. Walwyn noted, was that employers were told to exercise patience with their employees as “they may not do everything right right away” but if they are having difficulties with them (employees) they should convey that to Mr. Wheatley, who will seek to correct that either with pep talks or training.

The next step in the employment programme is the creation of a website where unemployed youths could continue to register and also that employers would have access to it. “So if an employer is looking for an employee they just go on the website and they would see the name, picture of the person and their resume and so on. So we will continuously expose the young people to the potential employers out there,” Hon. Walwyn stated.