In commemoration of International Youth Day on August 12, the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service has been hosting a three-day Youth Week celebration featuring an entrepreneurship village and career fair at both NAPA and SAPA.
The career fair at NAPA was held on August 10, and the entrepreneurship village is being hosted on August 11. Both events will take place simultaneously at SAPA on August 11.
In a release issued on Tuesday, the ministry said the intended purpose of these events was to promote and attract young people. It said over 30 youth entrepreneurs will showcase their products and services at the village, and a similar number of organisations in the private and public sectors will be on hand to provide career and financial guidance and employment opportunities to young people in both traditional and non-traditional career markets.
The career fair at NAPA on Wednesday was attended by students from the Military-Led Academic Training Programme (MILAT) and the Civilian Conservation Corps Programme (CCC) and featured a wide variety of booths, including some hosted by the police, fire services, the military, Caribbean Airlines and Republic Bank.
A student from MILAT who preferred to go unnamed told Newsday he thinks the initiative is an excellent one, as it provides a source of inspiration, saying, "I honestly have not thought much about what I want to do after school. And I know that I'm not the only one in that boat – a few of my friends can say the same. Something like this not only causes us to begin seriously considering our futures, it can cause a lightbulb moment."
Asked if that epiphany had hit as yet, he replied, "Well, I've always wanted to travel the world, so that makes CAL a good option since I'll get to go all over. But honestly, I still haven't settled on just one thing yet. There are a few things I'm interested in that I think will complement my skills well."
He added that even though he is still uncertain, not knowing what he wants to do out of a variety of appealing options is much better than not considering the future at all.