Buckle up & graduate- Keynote speaker at ESHS Career Expo urges
The Career Expo, being held under the theme “Tapping into Tomorrow by Preparing Today”, takes place from February 11 to February 14, 2013 at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex and will expose students to the various career opportunities in both the public and private sectors.
The message by one of the keynote speakers, Mr Pickering, was simple as he tried to advise the students how to go about choosing a career, which should be something that one enjoys doing and able to build on. The ESHS student, who benefitted from the ESHS Job Training Programme, also implored students to cross the first hurdle towards getting into the world of work and that was to graduate from high school.
“Do your work. You have absolutely no time to waste on facebook, on social media, on hanging out with friends...so get down into it and do your assignments.”
Mr Pickering also said that a wise man once told him that all he had to do was satisfy the examiners or past the tests presented in school. “...that is it, keep trying to pass your examinations, do your SBAs and assignments and get out of here. You are the future and you are what you put your mind to, so buckle up and graduate.”
Another keynote speaker, popular businessman Mr Colin O’Neal echoed a similar advice of choosing a career that one enjoys doing and noted that he looks forward to Mondays rather than Fridays because he likes what he does. “Choose a career where you actually look forward to going to work every Monday morning as I do,” Mr O’Neal said.
He also quoted the famous Chinese philosopher, Confucius, who he said advised that if one finds a good job or chooses a good job he or she will never have to work a day in his or her life, “and what he meant is that if you like what you do work doesn’t seem like work, if you hate what you are doing then work is torture.”
Backing up his point on his own experience, Mr O’Neal said he attended the then BVI High School and that when he was about to graduate everyone assumed that he would either study law or medicine and no one really pointed out to him the wide range of options available in the world of work and so he ended up studying law for nine years before working. He added that his choice was based on very limited information options pointed out to him. Mr O’Neal said he worked as a lawyer for approximately 20 years before changing profession. “Many people questioned my judgement at the time but I didn’t. I finally was able to do what I loved, being involved in the world of business and building things, and working indoors and outdoors...I have never been happier in all my life.”
The prominent businessman and Chief Executive Officer of JOMA Properties said students needed to realise that once entering the work force more of the waking hours will have to be spent at work than everywhere else so it was important that students pay attention to the options that are open to them. “That doesn’t mean that the choice you make now is the choice you have to live with forever after, you can always change after as I did.”
Mr O’Neal also said opportunities available to students during his time were far more limited. “Today there are all sorts of jobs that you may not even be conscious about...” He also listed a few career opportunities such as web designing, computer graphics, creating of applications for electronic devices that are available today. “The choices are open for you to do something and something perhaps not even on the drawing board today.” He also told students that career opportunities are limitless and one should not feel limited by the jobs that they think are available to them because in a fast changing world there are new jobs being created almost every day.
The keynote speaker also spoke of career opportunities in the technical field and noted that there are many opportunities in the building field alone.
Minister for Education and Culture Hon. Myron V. Walwyn congratulated the staff of the ESHS for continuing to organise the Career Expo and choosing to share it with other schools across the Territory. For the first time ever, the ESHS Career Expo has been opened to all fourth and fifth form students from across the Virgin Islands secondary schools including Bregado Flax Educational Centre, Claudia Creque Educational Centre, Cedar International, St. George’s Secondary and the B.V.I. Seventh Day Adventist Secondary schools.
“It is times like these that we all need to pool our resources together to expose our young people to the various opportunities and help light a path of success for them...We should all have a vested interest in seeing each student in the Virgin Islands succeed, when they succeed so do we as a school, a community and a Virgin Islands.”
The Minister said he hoped the Career Expo makes students understand that they as young people have a role to play in the development of the Virgin Islands. “The years will come quickly and before you know it our schools would need new teachers and principals; we will need additional law enforcement officers, trades men and women, entrepreneurs, and yes even new politicians.” He added that the young people must be prepared to meet the demands of a maturing Virgin Islands so they will be in the driving seat of the economy.
Hon. Walwyn also said the Education Ministry is on a mission to achieve a “Culture of Excellence” within the school system. “We have begun to offer courses in our leading industries- financial services and tourism- so that you as students would be exposed at an early stage to the work of these industries...“Young people we are prepared to ensure that you have the right tools to succeed. We simply ask you today to use the opportunities that will present themselves during your senior years to prepare yourselves to become leaders in this country tomorrow. The Virgin Islands will be depending on you to continue this development.”
Acting Principal of the Elmore Stoutt High School, Wade W. Tobin asked that the students spend some time on becoming familiar with the objective of Career Expo. “Lots of opportunities will confront you, don’t miss them,” he added.
Meanwhile, a number of students received their certificate for completing the 2012 Summer Job Training Programme. Some of them were presented with their certificates by Acting Chief Education Officer Mrs Jillian Douglas-Phillip.
According to Government Information Service (GIS), more than 600 senior secondary students from across the Territory’s high schools will be exposed to the various career opportunities in the Territory when they attend the Elmore Stoutt High School’s (ESHS) Annual Career Expo.
Tuesday, February 12, the financial services industry will be representing a wide cross-section of disciplines such as banking, insurance, shipping, investment, accounting, trust and funds.
On Wednesday, February 13 representatives of the public and private sectors will make presentations and showcase their organisation. Some of the Government’s departments that will participate in this year’s expo include the Health Services Authority, the Department of Information and Public Relations (GIS) and the Customs, Labour, Immigration, Agriculture, Survey and Town and Country Planning departments.
The Career Expo will culminate with the College and University Fair on Thursday, February 14. Approximately, 20 institutions of higher learning will be on hand to participate in this recruitment drive.
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