St Bess students embrace TPDCo Youth Expo

High school and college students from St Elizabeth were recently given an opportunity to examine a wide array of career options at a Youth Expo and Career Fair, which was staged by the Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo) at the parish's Breds Treasure Beach Sports Park.

The scores of students from several high schools and Bethlehem Moravian College were exposed to the various job opportunities in tourism and affiliated sectors through interactions with professionals aligned to the sectors.

Having explored the various job opportunities, Ashantie Graham, a grade-12 student at Newell High School, has seemingly settled on a career path, expressing a desire to become a cruise ship captain, after learning about jobs in the cruise and maritime industries.

"I want to cruise across the seas," said Graham, who thinks his fortune awaits him on the high seas.

Hope Codling, a student at May Day High School, thinks events like the expo offer options to students who might be unclear about a career path. She said it allows for students to decide about going to university or college, or just to go straight into a job after high school.

Codling's schoolmate, Teandra Morgan, said she thinks she has found a passion for "catering to people and cruise services" after visiting the Caribbean Maritime University booth.

The TPDCo Youth Expo and Career Fair was designed as a platform for networking, mentorship, and collaboration among students. The event is aimed at empowering young Jamaicans to explore unconventional pathways within the tourism sector by embracing innovation and creativity, taking the opportunity to discover new horizons, and carve out unique career trajectories through face-to-face consultations and demonstrations.