ESHS Career Expo returns with a bang (SEE VIDEO)

By MERRICK ANDREWS, Online News Editor

(JTV News) – After a five-year hiatus, the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) Career Expo was held on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex in Road Town on Tortola, with scores of students from public and private schools turning out to sample information on career opportunities from various businesses across the territory.

ESHS Counselor Amy Gordon is one of the driving forces behind the Expo. (SEE THE VIDEO NEWS REPORT OF THE EXPO BELOW STORY)

The organiser told Jahphix Television (JTV) News Journalist Cathy Richards that the expo was designed for students to be exposed to as many available career opportunities.

“We know that as time elapses, year after year, we have more and more different careers arising and so that they can understand that they are not confined to the regular careers that they know but they can broaden their horizon. And so, so far, I believe they are receiving that,” Gordon said.

When asked about the feedback from the participants, Gordon responded: “Well, so far everyone is excited, everything is going very, very well. They have been exposed, as we wanted them to, and they are actually telling me about other areas they would like to see in the future.”

Gordon, when asked if it was a challenge to get businesses on board, she replied: “I would not say it was a challenge because businesses, they were happy to come. I think what is happening is they are a bit busy — some of them — so they couldn’t make it. So they actually apologized profusely for that. I am hoping that next year they would make it and things would be better.”

She said the last time the Expo was held, was around 2017-2018. The COVID-19 pandemic and the hurricanes put a pause on the event.

JTV News featured — see video below — a number of students and business owners at their booths.

One businessman, in particular, representing ‘Bling Shine’, told persons at his booth that his business is a “specialist job”.

He disclosed that he was responsible for polishing two trucks from the US Virgin Islands for a 2018 competition and show. He said the trucks went on to win numerous awards including best fleet and best chrome and polish.

The businessman advised that businesses like his are key to the diversification and development of the economy.

“When you get a specialist job, you go hard with it, you don’t give up, you don’t stop,” he noted.

Participants at the ESHS Career Expo

He said skilled workers are paid well and their skills open doors to many opportunities.

“Once you’re a skilled worker, you will get jobs, they will come. The economy needs specialist workers. We need those, we need those,” he emphasized. “Once you’re certified you will be paid for your skill.”

However, it was not smooth sailing for the young businessman. He said there were a lot of hurdles to getting started and being where he is now.

“There were a lot of nos, then one yes, then two yes,” he pointed out. The yeses are coming now. The main thing is never to give up. There is no dumb dream. There are many business owners doing specialist jobs.”

He, however, said finishing school and avoiding trouble are the primary stepping stones to a brighter future.

“You need a high school diploma……Avoid trouble. A police record will hamper you from getting a
job,” he said.

The sky is the limit, he added.

“Can as much as you can while you still can,” he concluded.

The Kelvin Titley-owned Jahphix Television and its parent company, Jahphix Integrated Multimedia Solutions, were among the scores of Virgin Islands businesses that participated in the event.