Graduates should continue to strive
We congratulate this year’s graduates and wish them luck,
perseverance and fortitude in the future. Finishing high school or college is an important milestone in anyone’s life, and the territory should duly recognise the accomplishments of the classes of 2011.
However, graduates should not expect to rest on their laurels. For most, we suspect, the greatest challenges are yet to come. As the world slowly recovers from a major economic recession, the job market is extremely competitive here and abroad.
Fortunately, graduates in today’s VI have many opportunities, most of which were unheard of here 50 years ago:
• various tertiary education options tuition-free at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, which currently offers general studies as well as several programmes specifically designed to prepare students for the territory’s workforce;
• government and private scholarships to study here or abroad, where the sky is the limit;
• diverse vocational programmes that teach practical skills; and
• internships, to name a few.
We hope that graduates will take full advantage of such opportunities. Even if they can’t find the ideal job right away, they should make every effort to make themselves more marketable.
In today’s job market, education doesn’t end with a diploma. Increasingly, continuing studies and specialised training are essential — as is hard work.
In the coming months, the community should rally together to support this year’s graduates.
Businesses and government, for example, might endeavour to offer internships or entry-level positions designed to ease them into the workforce, even if only on a part-time basis. Private citizens should reach out to them as well, providing assistance where they can. And election candidates should outline specific plans for creating job opportunities for the VI’s young people.
After all, it is in the entire territory’s best interest to have today’s graduates be all that they can be.