Lester Vaughan students get guidance on tertiary options

By Anesta Henry

Students at Lester Vaughan School on Friday learned about the tertiary and vocational education options available to them after they leave the Cane Garden, St Thomas school.

The opportunity came in the form of a Tertiary Fair organised by the school’s Guidance Department, targeting third, fourth and fifth-form students.

Principal Anthony Alleyne said the fair was necessary, given that many students were interested in pursuing studies at other institutions but, oftentimes, were not aware of the entry requirements.

Alleyne said having representatives from the tertiary institutions provide students with application forms, pamphlets, and other pertinent information was a significant benefit for students.

“We have found that in our school for sure, there is a wide range of interest not only in the traditional academic subjects but also technical, skills-based subjects. The idea is to give them a wide range, lots of different options to ensure that all of them find somewhere to go when they leave this school,” he said.

“We made a very special effort to include the Barbados Vocational Training Board as well as the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology (SJPI) so that those who may not want to do what we refer to as bookwork will still be able to find somewhere to go.

“And then we have the Youth Advance Corps for those students who may need a second opportunity. We do have . . . some students who might not have made the best use of their five years here, but we still believe that they have the potential and opportunity to do something with themselves,” Alleyne added.

Returning fifth-form student Carmelo Nurse told Barbados TODAY he was pleased to have been able to speak to representatives of SJPI where he intends to pursue electrical engineering studies.

“I enjoyed the fair because I also got to learn about all the other tertiary institutions. But I already know I want to go to the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute to study so that I can work as an electrician,” he said, adding that he also aspires to become a small business owner.

Sixteen-year-old Kiara Carrington said that after visiting the various booths, she was equipped with the relevant knowledge regarding which institutions she needed to attend to study computer engineering.

“I already visited the websites and then I went to the booths today to get more information and to ask important questions,” she said.

The other institutions represented were the University of the West Indies, the Barbados Community College, Career Development Institute, and The Student Centre.

Several guest speakers also shared their experiences with the students.

Guidance counsellor Rosalin Gibson stressed that part of her mandate was to prepare students for the world of work.

“This world is evolving and options are becoming more and more diverse and it is really important to have our children on the cutting edge and on track from an early age so that they know what is available,” she said.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb