EDITORIAL: After graduation, what’s next?

The Principals and staff of the Clifton Hunter, Layman Scott and John Gray High Schools have just completed their 2019 graduation ceremonies which were well attended and supported by the Community.

It was a very important event for teachers and students as high school graduation is seen as the first major milestone in a person’s educational process.

The media recorded standing room only attendances at these important events and with full coverage on the local television station others were also able to support their family and friends in the privacy of their homes.

Some students will attend Colleges and Universities while others will seek employment. Unfortunately, after all the celebration has taken place these inexperienced job seekers will be faced with the task of finding gainful employment in an environment where unemployment among school leavers is at relatively high levels.

In the past Cayman Brac parents were concerned with this situation and believe that more can be done to assist these school leavers.

“This is tough for our kids as experience is trumping the cause. While they get a bit of internship too many have to move to Grand Cayman after University,” said a Cayman Brac Parent.

“I am not sure because employers want experienced workers,” says a Cayman Brac graduate.

“There's little scope for work here on the Brac even after attending university and finding a job is tough."

Similar comments were heard from Grand Cayman parents and students and these will be published in our Friday publication.

In last five years over 1,500 students graduated, and this year a combined total of approximately 325 students graduated from Cayman’s three high schools.

We are unable to obtain verifiable information relating to the success rate for the job seekers during that time, and we hope that the new WORC unit (formerly NWDA) will be in a position to provide this information in the near future.

Internship Program

An internship is a method of on-the-job training for college or university students, high school students, or post-graduate adults. These positions may be paid or unpaid and are usually temporary.

Generally, an internship consists of an exchange of services for experience between the student and an organization. Students can also use an internship to determine if they have an interest in a particular career, create a network of contacts or gain school credit. Some interns find permanent, paid employment with the organizations for which they worked. This can be a significant benefit to the employer as experienced interns often need little or no training when they begin regular employment. Unlike a trainee program, employment at the completion of an internship is not guaranteed.

This year many local businesses and Government agencies opened their doors and launched innovative programs with the aim of providing young Caymanians with the opportunity to experience the work environment first-hand. This is the type of initiative that the Caymanian Times has encouraged and we applaud their efforts.

With over 3,000 registered local businesses in a country with a workforce of approximately 43,000, it is difficult to understand why all graduates still find it difficult to find placement in internship programs.

As the Cayman Islands tries to grasp the full extent of its unemployment challenge, these graduates are encouraged to register on the new Workforce Opportunities & Residency Cayman (WORC) JobsCayman website.

The Future of the Cayman Islands lie in the hands of our children and their development and placement in the workforce are the responsibilities of all. They deserve full support and if you can’t attend these important ceremonies make an attempt to support the employment efforts of these ambitious graduates.