For the last 22 years, the St. Croix Career and Technical Education Center has hosted a career fair, and for the second year, the event will be held Thursday via Zoom to allow students, parents, and guardians to participate together.
The career fair begins at 8:15 a.m. Thursday and runs until 2:30 p.m. Parents, teachers as well as students from the 6th and 8th through 10th grades in public and private schools are invited to learn about technical fields courses as well as how to succeed academically and find good jobs. In the afternoon, students and parents will have a chance to ask questions and discuss options with career pathway instructors and business partners.
The program will begin with an invocation, introductions by Vincent Gordon, Jr., CTEC principal, and remarks from Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and others. The keynote speaker, Anton Doos III, is the executive director of the V.I. Career and Technical Education board.
Gordon said the career fair will allow students to explore and evaluate various careers based on their interests and to learn through the sessions the kind of opportunities that may be available.
“It’s not an either-or, but a both-and,” he said, referring to choice for college or work after high school, saying graduates can do both.
From 9:10 a.m. to 10:40 a.m., discussions will cover:
Building and mechanical trades – including agriculture, auto body, aviation technology and National Center of Construction Education and Research;
Business, including accounting, business management, finance, and computer engineering;
Cosmetology and clothing production.
Zoom links are 340-778-2217, 340-778-2218, and 340-778-2219, respectively. The password is CTEC for all sessions.
From 10:50 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., the sessions will cover:
Building and mechanical trades – including carpentry, construction technology, electricity technology, and millwright technology;
NAF Academy of Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism, including culinary arts and marketing;
Child care management and services.
Zoom links are 340-778-2217, 340-778-2218, and 340-778-2219, respectively. The password is CTEC for all sessions.
After lunch, from 1:15 to closing time at 2:30, students will participate in a “fun” technology exercise, according to Gordon, have a chance to ask questions and submit an evaluation on Survey Monkey. Zoom link: 340-778-2216.