One of the co-ordinators of this event Mrs. Olive Graham advised that the objective of this event is to sensitized students towards choosing their career path as they will be choosing their vocational areas next year in grade 10.

Mr. P. Everton Dixon, Marketing Officer Heart Trust NTA North Western Regional Office, reminded the students of the importance of learning during their tenure at high school.  He went on to say that too many students are leaving high school without the requisite qualification so they have to go back to school again in order to achieve same.  The Marketing Officer said this is a waste of time, resources and money. At Heart Trust NTA, he said, we accept students at 17 years old and they don't have to do an entry test, if they have the required CXC or GCE subjects, "This programme he said is a very helpful one.  However he said they are not getting the students, with the required subjects so those who seek further training will have to do a grade nine level test, but he said there is a 70% failure rate and this is not good enough.

He went on to say that the objective of going to a high school is not being met because he said these students are leaving these schools without any CXC or GCE subjects. There is a notion in society, he said, which says if you can't make it academically you go and learn a trade.  He said this has to be wiped out, because education drives the skill you have or acquire.

In giving an example, Mr. Dixon said a 1960 motorcar and a 2007 one have a total different configuration.  If the mechanic today is not literate he is going to have difficulty surviving in today's environment because everything today is driven by technology.

So the person who can't relate to this environment is not going to make it, as he or she will be in a serious problem.

As it relates to the 21st century worker this he said the worker must be literate based on the global environment where one skill will be transferred from one market to the next.

Literacy he said plays a vital role, in the development of the individual and the country.

"Students need to walk out of high schools with the necessary tools to step up in life and to make a meaningful contribution to the development of the society.

Principal of the School Rev Dr Basil Chambers in a brief speech reminded the audience that lifelong employment days are gone, so in today's world he said one has to be equipped to do five different jobs in your tenure (example in your forty years at an institution) "We are in the age of different career practices we have to practice four or five, it is not lifelong employment anymore you have to be a specialised generalist in this age.

There are a number of career display booths; these include nursing, business, cosmetology, hospitality and tourism services, librarianship, entrepreneurship and taxi services, fire services and the Jamaica Defence Force.

During the course of the day the students were exposed to some live presentations from the Jamaica Defence Force, Soldiers under the command of Corporal D. Miller, displaying their mode of dress from various military functions and from basic services out in the field.