Road Town, Tortola - The Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) Career Expo opened this morning with great enthusiasm and expectations as the senior students from forms four and five dressed in their professional attire, some wearing clothing that depicted their career of choice.
The three-day event is being held under the theme “Pursuing Purposeful and Profitable Productivity”.
Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Andrew Fahie told the students at the opening ceremony it does not matter who they are or who their parents are and that their destiny and future lie in their hands. “You cannot smoke, drink, and steal your problems away,” he said, adding, “you cannot get in gangs and think that because you have friends in gangs you can get your future through that.”
“Your future is in you and in order to get ahead in life you have to use your brain and prepare yourselves,” Minister Fahie said.
He told the students they have no excuse for failure because they are furnished with a free education and he urged them to take charge of their lives and prepare for the future. “No human is perfect, we all make mistakes but it is up to you to change your life around and become positive. As you elevate and go higher in life the problems that you are facing will become so small that you will not see them anymore,” he said.
The Career Expo is being sponsored by the International Finance Centre and the BVI Banking Association. Ms. Alicia Green of the BVI International Finance Centre said it was a great opportunity for them to be a part of this event.
“This initiative allow us the opportunity to engage your minds in as many ways as is possible to the importance of financial services to our economy and share how you can contribute in a professional capacity when you graduate,” she said.
Ms. Green told the students that there are many careers available in the financial services industry which included fund administrator, compliance officers, chartered secretary, insurance managers and brokers amongst others.
Guest Speaker Mr. Myron Walwyn, Chairman of the BVI Tourist Board told the students that everyone has a part to play in the development of the Territory. “Every generation of nationals has a responsibility to the country of their birth or to the country that opens its arms to them when they were most in need,” he said.
He told the students they are the ones who will have to chart the course for this Territory. “You will be called to lead us at a time when countries that are far richer than us are competing vigorously for the tourist dollar and where the most powerful countries in the world seek to ensure that their nationals keep their money in their own countries,” he said. Mr. Walwyn added, “You will be called to lead us at the most treacherous time in our history and the only thing that can help you is preparedness. You do not have to be great to start but you have to start to be great.”
During the opening ceremony, students who participated in the Summer Job Training Programme in 2009 received special awards. Ms. Khadisha Isaac who worked at the Department of Information and Public Relations received the Student of the Year Award.
During the week, students will benefit from presentations on a number of different career paths including financial services, agriculture, communication, health, law enforcement (immigration, policing and customs) and other Government services.
The career expo will culminate on Thursday, February 19 with the Colleges and University Fair, and approximately 20 universities and colleges are expected to participate in this recruitment drive. The career expo, held annually, is designed to expose the students, particularly the senior students, to the world of work.
British Virgin Islands News