JIS: Students at all levels in the six regions of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information are expected to participate in the seventh staging of National Careers Week.

 

The week, which will be observed from February 11 to 17 under the theme: ‘Expanding Horizons for Vision 2030’, is being organized in collaboration with HEART Trust/NTA and Junior Achievement Jamaica.       

 

Addressing a JIS ‘Think Tank’ on February 3, Senior Education Officer, Guidance and Counselling Unit in the Ministry, Lisetha Adams, said the objectives of the Week are to help inspire wiser career decisions; and to better engage youth and adults to help establish Jamaica as a globally competitive nation.      

 

“As part of the growth agenda and Vision 2030, the activities for the week are being hosted under the umbrella of the National Career Integration Committee and will seek to build a culture of career development in schools,” she explained.

 

Ms. Adams, who is also Chairperson of  the Committee,  said the Week will also be used to: engage major stakeholders through participatory approach to career development; support learners in developing meaningful strategies to utilize networking and information technologies to inform decision making; and using national, regional and global labour market signals and trends to guide career development programmes in the education system.

 

Meanwhile, Senior Director for Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Development and Support System at HEART Trust/NTA, Dr. Marcia Rowe-Amonde, pointed out that her organization is committed to working with the education system at all levels to make career tools and information available to learners.   

 

             “What HEART Trust is seeking to do for the Week is very much within our mandate, to adopt a participatory approach in providing career information.  We recognize that we have to collaborate with other stakeholders to give the necessary career information so that we can empower persons to make informed decisions in relation to their career choice,” she said.          

 

For her part, President of Junior Achievement Jamaica, Alphie Mullings-Aiken, said her organization will focus on two programmes – Ja Biz Town for primary school  students and Ja Company of Entrepreneurs for high school students.    

 

“We are using this week as an additional drive to educate and share with students and schools about career preparation, and so collaboratively, we want to see students engage as they prepare to become future leaders,” she noted.     

 

Activities for the week will include church services, library expositions, school career expositions, a poster competition, international career discussions, a public forum at Emancipation Park in Kingston and forums in all six  regions.   

 

Highlight of the week will be a ‘Take Your Child to Work Day’ on Friday, February 17.  Businesses will open their doors to employees’ children from Grades 7 to 9 to experience work for a day.          

 

Partners for the Week are: the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Jamaica Public Service Co. Ltd., Insurance Company of the West Indies (ICWI) Ltd, Citibank N.A. and the Gleaner Company.

 

CAPTION: Senior Director for TVET Development and Support System, at HEART Trust/NTA, Dr. Marcia Rowe-Amonde (left), speaks at a JIS ‘Think Tank’ on February 3. Listening keenly from right are: President of Junior Achievement Jamaica, Alphie Mullings-Aiken and Senior Education Officer, Guidance and Counselling Unit, in the Ministry of Education, Lisetha Adams.