Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is recommending that students are provided with guidance counselling in order to assist them in choosing the right career.
“I think at the secondary school level, at the state college level and even outside of these two structures we need to provide students with guidance counselling in terms of career options and pursuits,” the prime during the most recent edition of his Sunday radio talk show.
Prime Minister Skerrit said students should also be assisted in the selection of subjects.
According to the Prime Minister, the selection of subjects has been a major challenge for some students.
“Students, I believe, are pursuing courses that are not of national priority and we also have saturation in terms of the number of people who are studying [in the same areas]…,” he stated.
He indicated that for a small economy like Dominica there are just so many people you can employ in the skill-set that they have.
“So what we find, is that students come back with the degree, yes, but there were 10 of you on the plane with the same area of study,” Prime Minister Skerrit noted. “And how many of you can the economy absorb at any one time?”
He said it is important that students view going to university as an investment and they need to ensure that there can be returns on their investment.
Stop talking nonsense Skerrit. Do what you were elected to do. How about paying the tuition fees for our students in the US that went there on a government grant. I guess election is over and you got there votes and now ‘charity’ stops!
The viable careers’ are mot in Dominica. All students leaving the college apply to the same places. Utility companies, Banks, Customs, and a few other government agencies. some will be be successful, others will leave, most will be unemployed and have to settle for whatever the NEP may be able to provide at almost minimum wage. Career Opportunities? These days people just lucky to get a job, much less for a career. Fella stop talk trash. You alone that have all the time in the world to guide the youth. Everybody else old and young too busy trying to make the ends meet from month to month. Sickens me that you wont ensure that things are in place for the development of the youth like the restoration of our public library. Or pottersville savanna. Now you want to talk about the youth. The youth need someone to teach them manners, morals, integrity, etiquette and other soft skills to succeed first. Teach them how to value themselves and others. To treat others properly and respectfully
16 years it took him to figure this out. All of a sudden he feels the need to sound important…
@Jack
Excellent comment, Mr. Jack! I have always advocated that no student should leave secondary school without a skill. This should be compulsory. Skills are sadly lacking in the country. The irony is, those local skilled people are denied job opportunities and preference is given to foreigners. Foreigners are KINGS & QUEENS in Dominica under this DLP-led government. Born and bred Dominicans are persecuted and denied while foreigners are promoted and exalted.
Since about 2010 maybe 2011 they been talking about implementing TVET along with the academics. Their intention was to train every secondary school student with a trade skill along with the academic courses. Jamiaca does it. Barbados does it. Heard it would be implemented along CARICOM. But as usual, like many things here it is just talk. Min of education severely disappointing. The kids get the brown end of the stick. The teachers even worse cus many put their all into their students. Sports and education have been lacking.
Who ‘s in charge of education? How about opening more trade schools like Electrical, Plumbing, Welding and Carpentry. Also how about promoting small construction companies. A degree in anything is not going to get your roof fixed.
Career guidance would help but that would work best if students have access to the skills and knowledge PRIORITIES of the public and private sector bodies, respectively or jointly, for the next ten years.
Within the next 10 years, Dominica will clearly need, among other things:
1. engineers in all fields: from geotechnical engineers to climate change engineers.
2. agricultural skills and knowledge, at all levels but especially those who want to get their hands dirty. Too many people were trained in agriculture over the past 60 years but who did not use their education to further agriculture in Dominica. A total waste of training resources.
3. Information technology specialists, all subsectors: from basic keyboarding to the highest levels of communication technology
4. Medical skills: from nursing assistants to hospital and health centre administrators
Students would need to be aware of these priorities to better evaluate which fields match their interests and abilities.
I will surely buy a degree like my pee…m.one day and will become munister of all things and wen chavez coming i closing down the whole country for the spanish man
This can burst a lot of bubbles, with global borders being closed and major economies in stagnation, the dilemma created will have long lasting effects for both the individual and the state. Every mother want “deh chile to have ah degree” but what they are going to do when it is received, is now the big question. The DLP gov’t may have to take the blame, if the peoples funds was directed into tutorship, career guidance should have been on the table.
He better take some career guidance himself for when he gets out of office.
Let’s get serious! The present economy is bleeding jobs. It has been in a deep coma for years. To find a good paying job, right now, in Dominica, is like trying to fond a lost diamond ring in the densest part of the Amazon Forest. The few jobs that are available are ongoing projects given to the Chinese. These jobs are exclusively reserved for Chinese workers only. As the Chinese ambassador to Dominica remarked recently, (am paraphrasing) Dominicans are not capable of producing the desired finished products as the Chinese workers do.
Most Dominicans studying abroad don’t return home because the grass is brown and dry, and the ground is barren. Look carefully around you Dominicans. The only few persons who are doing well are Skerrit, his wife and children, his Cabinet of angry, rapacious vultures, and the politically well connected.
When it comes to jobs, Dominica can be likened to dry, sandy, barren desert where there is not even an oasis.
I agree wholeheartedly!
However, I have found that the overriding influence on the choice of career comes from the parent rather than the student. In too many cases it is the parent that aspires for their son or daughter to enter a “profession” rather than learn a hands-on creative skill. This mind set can only be changed by placing the creative arts high on the education agenda and giving creative skilled work the status it deserves.
I’ve lost count of Dominican graduates with a “professional” degree who, after visiting my workshop and studio, tell me how they wish they had done something different.
Amazing, after 20 years, never too late. Start with ending the glut of psychologist majors from the Chinese and identify leadership needs in agriculture technology, environmental science, Health and construction technology. We also need to focus on at least a 20 year forecast on population increase and impact and encourage a platform for the graduates to be placed in their areas of expertise to impact other and contribute to the overall development of the country. NEVER TOO LATE!!
Skerritt sounds like you want to direct students into areas of study for which they are not interested. This could lead to low grades and low enthusiasm. The result will be young people employed in fields which don’t stimulate them leading to underachievers. Is that what you wish for poor people’s children? Instead, your administration can provide the necessary resources and environment to enable a large number of students to succeed in their chosen field of endeavor. These young people will be motivated to reach for high heights in things that they have a love for. You make it sound as if your administration has provided so many avenues for employment. Considering the free movement of skilled persons within Caricom, you could assist them by helping to identify opportunities in other sister countries and help them get those jobs. Don’t expect that all educated youth will have jobs in a slow-paced Dominican economy. Your initiative will only help a handful of youth.
Look a backward government we! So after 25 years in office you now talking about what the school curricular should be? When you giving scholarships you didnt check to see if this was being done at the school level? Sir if you were allowing the public service to do its job you would not always have to come in public talking about the obvious. You bypass public servants on all levels then you come here playing saviour. Sir you are not impressing anybody, what you are achieving is passing like a fool who has no idea what governance is about.You are being laughed at sir.