On career preparation
The Issue: Policy decision by the BOE to prepare students for career opportunities.
Our View: This issue, while nothing new, requires a fully rounded program for participants.
Since the sixties, then Hopwood Sr. High School implemented job career development for students in preparation for “Life After Campus” (LAC).
Students were given one of three choices: Academic, Commercial or Trades or a combination of two or all three. A program in career opportunities was organized with all sectors where students get a feel for jobs they may pursue after high school.
It was in the late sixties that the former Trust Territory Government (Department of Finance’s ADP Division) introduced the first computer in these isles. It was a new system then that processed payroll checks and spread sheets quicker and far more efficient than the old way–manual preparation. It was a new and strange experience, but a good introduction to the use of computers.
Technological advances (Information Technology) has rendered the old Royal typewriter useless. It even introduced the so-called New Economy that nations throughout the world have embraced as the tool in the conduct of business. Businesses who fail to exploit the benefits of IT would be left behind. The NMI is no exception in this matter.
A major shuffle has quietly descended in these isles since the advent of IT. Old paradigms must go to make way for new ones. Be that as it may, this inevitable shift so forced upon the global community by IT, requires serious review by local leadership from all sectors. Unless a clear map is charted, our efforts to partake in the benefits of the IT with some sense of coherence will, again, be completely out of focus.
This is where vision and real leadership comes into play from all sectors of the NMI community. Either we do it with a sense of purpose, vision and commitment or we will be swimming helplessly in the sea of confusion as the rest of the world community parades by these isles on their way to regional free trade solidarity.
We praise the Board of Education in its efforts to continue preparing our students for career opportunities, but it also needs the contribution of all sectors in defining the future of wealth and jobs creation in paradise. Until this is done, most of our efforts would be as erratic as the typhoons that frequent these isles at year’s end. Think about it. Si Yuus Maase` yan ghilisow!
