From February 9-14, 2025 the governmental Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information National held its annual National Career Awareness Week under the theme: ‘Career Success through Self Development’. The week aims to equip students at all educational levels to “make informed career choices and enhance their future through education, entrepreneurship and professional development.” A number of Mercy schools participated in this observance such as Mt. St. Joseph Catholic High School (MSJCHS), St. John Bosco (SJB) Vocational Training Centre, and Jessie Ripoll Primary School.
Mt. St. Joseph invited a number of organisations from various industries to speak to the students about the career opportunities within their respective fields. Other educational institutions were also invited to make students aware of the postsecondary academic and vocational pathways which are available to them after leaving school. One of these institutions was St. John Bosco Vocational Training Centre which had its students performing skills demonstrations in trades such as barbering and nail care. Promisingly, several MSJCHS students expressed an interest in exploring SJB as a viable post-secondary vocational opportunity and gave SJB their contact information to facilitate further discussions. MSJCHS students from the school’s entrepreneurship club also showcased their talent and entrepreneurship skills at a special booth.
Jessie Ripoll Primary
At Jessie Ripoll Primary, students and staff came out on February 13 dressed as a diverse array of professional characters. Students dressed as Astronauts, SWAT team members, sailors, judges, business professionals, firefighters, police officers, doctors and more. Many of the students also dressed in non-traditional occupations such as cooks, painters, and athletes – perhaps signaling a change in attitudes towards alternative career paths. Furthermore, the students were visited by professionals from Alpha Mercy Health & Wellness Centre (i.e. dental staff), the Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) Coast Guard, the Jamaica Fire Brigade, and the Jamaica Defense Force Air Wing. A soap manufacturer and a fashion designer were also numbered among our guests.
Alpha Academy
Alpha Academy also joined in on the fun with their 3rd form students dressing according to their aspiring careers and learning about different career paths at informational booths set up by institutions and organisations like the Jamaica Defense Force, University of Technology, University of the West Indies (Mona), Shortwood Teachers’ College, Caribbean Maritime University, Garmex Academy and more. The Alpha Mercy Health & Wellness Center also had its own booth for students interested in pursuing a career in dental medicine. Beyond this, students attended a number of talks and presentations led by professionals (some of whom are Alpha Academy alumni), who shared their experiences in fields like business, law, real estate, coastal engineering, food analysis, journalism, logistics and the culinary arts. Additionally, a special session called “God and my career” was held to guide students on how to seek and discern God’s will for their professional lives. These talks were an invaluable time for students to seek information and advice regarding their chosen career paths.
Our Mercy schools continually aim to expose students to as many career and educational options as possible in order to widen their horizons for the future. We are grateful to all the organisations which partnered with our schools to show the next generation of professionals how they can succeed while using their skills to further develop Jamaica!
