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 | Price Waterhouse Coopers representatives talking to a USP student about employment opportunities |
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The University of the South Pacific is committed to providing its students the opportunity to touch base with employers in order to identify what they require to enter the workforce and thus make the right career decisions.
The University held its first comprehensive Careers Fair, for its Laucala-based students on Tuesday, 13 August, 2013. The two-day event was launched on Monday evening at the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies (OCACPS).
The careers exposition saw hundreds of students and members of the public turn out at the upper and lower Library rara where around 70 employers from around Fiji set up booths to disseminate information on careers and answer their queries.
The University is providing an opportunity for greater employer and student interaction, through this inaugural event. This opportunity will greatly enhance students’ future employment prospects with employers and create entrepreneurship opportunities for those who are thinking of venturing into a business of their own.
Representatives from various government, private companies and corporate agencies are based at the library grounds to distribute information brochures to students and answer their questions on jobs, careers and career paths.
The fair, which was organised by Campus Life, attracted hundreds of students, graduates and alumni of USP, as well as members of the public.
Group manager of USP Campus Life, Mr Glenn Pope said that the event was an example of the university’s commitment to ensuring its students, graduates and alumni were well prepared for “life after study” in terms of employment and entrepreneurship.
The Japan-Pacific ICT Centre saw presentations from various entrepreneurs with different business backgrounds. Mrs Bernadette Rounds-Ganilau, an entrepreneur, writer, radio broadcaster and politician, spoke to students on how she started her business, Pearl Traders and Outfitters, and advised them to strive for their best when it came to entrepreneurialism.
Owner of Garden City, and Chief Executive Officer of Marco Polo Holdings, Mr Wah Sing, elaborated on how he started with small steps, having gotten a lucky break with 20 cartons of ginger, and later went on to produce up to 2000 tonnes, per annum.
Mr and Mrs Tabuyaqona, who run the catering business Indoor Dining, told of how they started selling food on the streets after they lost they jobs in the tourism industry after the 2000 coup, and grew their business to the full-fledged catering company it is today.
Second year biology student, Veniana Tiko, who expressed an interest in Geographic Information System (GIS) said she had the opportunity to talk with prospective emplloyers and ascertain what attributes were required to join the workforce.
“The Careers Fair was actually very good, especially since it’s the first time the university has had such an event,” she said.
She said she and her colleagues were glad to know that there are opportunities to engage in occupations that they are hoping to enter in the future as professionals, saying that “we are now confident that we will be able secure jobs after having interacted with these employers”.
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