A Division hosts career day fair for Police’s youth clubs

Police youth clubs from across the country assembled at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary, Georgetown, on Saturday for what will now become the annual A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) career fair.
The inaugural fair was an all day event, held under the theme “Transforming the Mind, Developing the Nation through Motivation and Inspiration”. It kicked off with performances from children across the country. There were skits, dances, recitals and even charges from Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine who declared the event open.
Delivering brief remarks, Dr Roopnaraine commended the efforts of the Guyana Police Force, more specifically the Divisional Commander, Officers and ranks of A Division and other stakeholders for staging of the event. He noted that the theme of the fair strikes at the core of education in Guyana.

Dr Roopnaraine stated that he was impressed with the emphasis placed on local activities and local products observed in the exhibition booths and expressed the view that they will generate high interest in the youths.
The Education Minister also noted that many of the children attending the career fair were at an important stage of their lives where decisions will influence the kind of persons they become, and urged that they pay close attention to their parents, teachers and those who give them guidance in order that they may be able to make a contribution towards the building of Guyana.
On the other hand, Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud noted that the career day fair held three important values.  Firstly, to the children of the youth clubs, many of whom are completing secondary education and may be entering the labour force, and therefore need to seize the opportunity to explore the diversity of the work environment. Secondly, to the exhibitors who have the opportunity to recruit labour, and thirdly to Police Force itself which has transformed over the years from a para-military organisation into a service oriented and social problem-solving Police Force.
Among the agencies which participated in the career fair and engaged young persons were the Disciplined Forces; the Ministries of Education, Public Health and Agriculture; media entities; E R Burrowes School of Art; the Museum of African Heritage, and new kid on the block call centre – Teleperformance.
Meanwhile, scores of children and teenagers attended the fair throughout the day and interacted with the exhibitors. Most of the younger ones were dressed as their professions, such as police officers, doctors and nurses, and lawyers, displaying their aspiring career paths.
The students seemed enthused as they moved from one booth to another, exploring. Guyana Times managed to get the reaction of a few on the career fair.

One of student from Richard Ishmael Secondary School indicated that the fair proved to be educational, mentioning in particular, a device developed by the Hydrometrological Office to test water.
Another student related that her interest was captured by the various career paths available with the Guyana Defence Force. “I didn’t know they had so much opportunity, to be honest. A lot of people think that Police and Army is just that but they offer much more, it’s very interesting,” she stated.
Speaking with this newspaper, A Division Commander, Clifton Hicken, was pleased with the turnout, noting that the event is part of a calendar year of activities planned for Guyanese youths. He noted that events such as these seek to develop and mould youths to become leaders of the future.
According to Hicken, the fair also provides a forum for children across the country to interact and form a network with each other. “In A Division, we are continuing with these types of programmes in the hopes that the children will walk away with brochures, walk away with new information, walk away with the understanding that if you want to become a professional as part of a professional organisation, then there is a road you need to walk and education is the key to getting there,” he stated.
Hicken is encouraging his fellow Divisional Commanders to host similar initiatives that would see the Police Force strengthening and rebuilding its relationship with the public.