Career showcase opens students’ eyes to expanding job opportunities

Students attending the Barbados Association of Guidance Counsellors’ (BAGC) 19th Annual National Career Showcase at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, St Michael were exposed to a wide range of career opportunities on Friday as businesses and organisations highlighted the pathways available within their industries and the subjects needed to pursue them.

Held under the theme A Bright Future Loading… Planning Your Vision, the showcase brought together about 70 businesses and organisations catering to third form students from secondary schools across the island, with representatives using interactive displays, demonstrations and conversations to encourage students to think seriously about their futures.

Among one of the most popular exhibitors was Robot Adventures, where students crowded around robotics demonstrations, attempted to manoeuvre robotic arms and complete challenges set up on the floor.

Chief instructor Jelani Payne explained that robotics offered a broad range of careers that continue to grow globally and regionally. 

He pointed to drone technology, autonomous robotics and 3D printing as emerging industries with increasing demand.

“In terms of career opportunities, man, they’re so vast. For example, security as it relates to drone technology, so protecting against things like petty larceny for farmers or even just securing your property,” Payne said. 

“There’s also the autonomous operation of the drones, or even in general robots, so just programming them to be able to execute without human involvement.”

Payne added that underwater robotics was another growing field.

“Being able to use it for sea exploration as well as deep sea exploration, and of course there’s cleaning the hulls of ships and so on because all of these things are jobs when it comes to robotics that are too dull, dangerous, or dirty for people to do,” he pointed out.

He encouraged students interested in the field to focus on science and technology subjects. 

“If you want to get into robotics, it’s a multidiscipline engineering area. So you’re looking at mechanical engineering, electronics or electrical engineering and computer science,” Payne advised.

“Physics and chemistry” were particularly useful, along with information technology, mathematics and technical drawing, he added.

At another booth, guidance counsellor at Parkinson Memorial Secondary School Kara Clarke said many students were surprised by the range of services guidance counsellors provide daily.

“Our booth is to mostly showcase to the students what the role of the guidance counsellor is in school and about the Barbados Association of Guidance Counsellors and what we do on a day-to-day basis for our students as an association,” she said.

Students visiting the booth interacted with worksheets, games and counselling resources used in schools.

“A lot of students know that inside the school that they have a guidance counsellor, but a lot of them that have been visiting the booth don’t even know all the things that we offer and all the things that we can do within the school,” Clarke said.

Some students, she added, also expressed interest in joining the profession.

“We were able to discuss with them what they would have to study,” she said, explaining that degrees in psychology or social work were common entry paths before pursuing a master’s degree in psychology or school counselling.

Clarke described the conversations throughout the day as “very enriching” and said the event also helped reduce stigma around seeking counselling support in schools.

“It’s also to encourage the other ones that may be a bit reluctant to seek services from the guidance counsellors to know that it’s nothing to be ashamed about,” she explained.

Representative from Foster and Ince, Neil Hoyte also used the showcase to educate students about careers linked to tourism, transportation and logistics.

He claimed that students were unaware of the jobs connected to the cruise industry.

“Foster Crew Services, we take care of all of the needs of the passengers coming during the cruise season,” Hoyte disclosed.

He said the company required workers in a variety of fields, from tour guiding and operations to freight, transportation and administration.

“There are several different things from office staff, to meet and greet staff, to coordinators as well who make sure that their portion of turning the vessel, or making sure that the vessel gets whatever they need,” Hoyte said.

Natasha Yearwood, representative of Platinum Port Agency said ship models at their booth helped spark conversations with students about maritime and hospitality careers.

“They find the ship models very interesting and from there the engagement starts really and truly where we can educate the students on the jobs within hospitality at sea, but also here locally,” she said.

Meanwhile, Cricket Legends of Barbados administrative assistant Alicia Gittens highlighted that cricket could lead to several careers beyond playing professionally.

“Kids can either be administrative assistants, they can be working in the finance department, general manager, or even with retired cricketers,” she said.

“Being a cricketer is also a career that is impactful to the youth, so we try to keep cricket alive in the communities and within the schools.”

 

(LE)