Career guidance for Frederick Smith Secondary students

Students at Frederick Smith Secondary School got a glance into the world of work on Tuesday during the school’s career showcase.

Around 30 booths, including those showcasing dental care, disc jockeying, tattoo artistry, the automotive industry, animal grooming services, and public services such as the Barbados Defence Force and Barbados Police Service, were set up across the Holetown, St James school.

Senior teacher Faye Beckles explained that this was a crucial time for third-formers as they were in the process of selecting the subjects they wanted to study in their senior year that would align with their dream jobs.

“We have organised this career showcase today, especially for our third-formers who are about to choose their options for fourth form. So this is supposed to excite them about careers and inform them about potential careers that they may not be aware of and the ones that they are interested in as well,” she said.

“We don’t want the students to choose subjects willy-nilly. We want to ensure they are guided and informed so that they [make the best decisions]. Everyone may not be sure of what they want to do, but they will have an idea if they are interested in a particular area and what is the best path to take. So we just want the students to be excited about getting ready for fourth year, about choosing a career, about knowing what it is that they would like to do, even if they change at a later date, and work towards a goal they have.”

Beckles added that the students were also being encouraged to explore entrepreneurship as an option to generate income, noting that some students may change their minds about their careers in adulthood.

There are 134 third-form students at the school and senior students were also invited to participate in the activities.
(SZB)