The Bahamas Financial Services Board and key sponsors will join forces to incorporate the annual Financial Services Industry Careers Fest into the National Career Awareness Month (NCAM) & Expo, being coordinated by the Ministry of Education (MOE).
In a collaborative effort to meet the many challenges facing graduates entering the workforce, the MOE has combined the resources of a broad range of participating agencies under a NCAM Steering Committee. The theme for the month is “Career Awareness Today For A Global Tomorrow,” and a number of events and activities have been planned, inclusive of:
• Speakers Circuits
• Career Site Inspections / Field Trips
• Careers’ Fair & Expo
• Town Meetings
• School-based Activities
• Student Competitions
The three-day fair and expo will be hosted at the Kendal Isaas Gym, October 28-30, 2008. While BFSB's involvement will be to promote careers within the financial services sector, coordinating relevant exhibits, the fair and expo will be "national" in scope, with a focus on multiple career opportunities -- e.g. Business, Education & Training, Health, Security Forces, Small Business & Entrepreneurship, Tourism, and Trades.
BACKGROUND: Since 2001, the Bahamas Financial Services Board and Ministry of Education have joined forces to sponsor a Careers Fest – incorporating exhibits and a lecture series. Co-sponsors of the annual event have included the Ministry of Finance, Bahamas Business Solutions Limited, Rotary Club of East Nassau and Rotary Sunrise.
The event traditionally has focused solely on careers in the financial services industry, targeting senior level grades in the public and private secondary schools.
Exhibits are manned by Industry Professional Associations and Regulators, with each providing details on career options in the respective sectors: banking and trust, compliance, investment funds and securities, insurance, accounting, legal, telecommunications, and real estate. There is participation as well from corporate exhibits, providing a more comprehensive view of the services available in the sector.
The Careers Fest is complemented by a School Essay and Speech Competition. Participating schools select the best overall essay and speech contestant through an internal process, and submit such to BFSB, who selects the overall winner in each competition from these “finalists”.
The FCF programme seeks to integrate the industry with the wider community, and its various initiatives address issues such as (a) challenges impacting the sustained growth and development of the industry; (b) improvements to the level of service; and (c) attracting and maintaining qualified professions. Particular attention is placed on highlighting the importance of quality human resources to the industry.
Key components of the Financial Focus Centre are an Industry Awards Programme, Industry Media Briefings, and a School Outreach - of which the Careers Fest and Competitions have been an integral part.