KINGSTON, March 21 (JIS):

            Students from 40 schools in Central Jamaica attended the annual ‘College Day’ staged by Knox Community College, Cobbla Campus, in Manchester, on March 15.

           Held under the theme ‘Forging Forward: A New Horizon Beckons’, the Day featured guest speaker, Senior Lecturer and Head of the School of Allied Health and Wellness in the College of Health Sciences, University of Technology (UTech),  Greg-Louis Austin.

            Mr. Austin, a past student of Knox Community College, shared his past experiences with the audience and explained how the college set the foundation for his current achievements.

            He reminded the students that they need to have positive friends. “At high school there was always competition and rivalry as to who would be what. Out of that experience came the opportunity to always forge forward,” he said.

            Mr. Austin explained that after high school, he was too young to go straight to university, and so Knox Community College helped prepare him for what laid ahead.

            He encouraged the students to not just focus on academics, but to also embrace the skills that Knox has to offer.

            “The degree is good, but the certification matters. The added value on your résumé, that development of self that you are sure to get at a place like Knox Community College… the ability to assist in the planning of a function and the playing of an instrument make you a cut above the rest,” he said.

            The Day also featured President of the Turks and Caicos Community College, Dr. Hubert Fulford, who, along with his team, flew in for the event, having forged a relationship with Knox Community College.

“We appreciate how Knox has assisted us in the Turks and Caicos Islands. We have formed a partnership that has allowed us to extend our curriculum offerings and reach more students,” he said.

            Meanwhile, Manager of Strategic Initiatives at Sutherland Global Services Jamaica, Olivia Campbell, outlined to the students the fast-growing field of business process outsourcing (BPO).

 “Many of you will be looking for what it is you can do after high school. (Today) you will be exposed to what BPO is and the many opportunities that exist within the field. It handles the noncore aspects of a business, allowing you to focus more on your products and services,” she told them.

“The BPO is a very young industry and attracts people between the ages of 18 and 35. I would like to encourage you to open your eyes and seek out opportunities. There is nothing that you cannot do from right here in Jamaica,” Ms. Campbell added.

            The departmental displays included computer repairs, patient care simulation and greenhouse technology.

External exhibitors for the day included Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Child Development Agency, National Youth Service, Sutherland Global Services, Bethel Bible College, Herbalife, Manchester

Co-operative Credit Union, Smartbox, Consumer Affairs Commission, National Council for Youth Development, Caribbean Maritime Institute, Registrar General’s Department, PATH, Jamaica Productivity Centre, the Blood Bank and Careplus Pharmacy, which gave free eye and blood tests.

CONTACT: CHRISTINE ADE-GOLD