By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE Department of Labour took its Labour on the Campus career fair to Doris Johnson Senior High School on Friday, pushing students to confront the realities of the job market as officials warned that unfilled skills gaps will be taken by foreign workers if Bahamians do not seize opportunities now.

Simone Thurston, manager of the Public Employment Services Unit, said the fair was revived last year to give young people a clearer view of what employers expect. She said students needed to understand “the skills that they would need to acquire in order to obtain these positions” and urged them to speak directly with recruiters about requirements, internships and training paths.

Dozens of employers participated, including first-time attendees such as the Department of Meteorology, air traffic control representatives, Bahamasair, Atlantis, the Bahamas National Trust, the Department of Immigration, BTVI, LJM Maritime Academy, Sun Oil and the National Airport Development Company.

“We have any number of areas that really we have in demand right now,” Ms Thurston said, pointing to shortages in engineering, accounting, human resources and culinary fields. She warned that unfilled roles would remain vacant or be filled by immigrants.

Guidance coordinator Demetrea Knowles said the school pushed students to treat the fair like a first step into the workplace. “Get your resumes together, get a good talking point together, look spiffy today,” she said, adding that many twelfth graders intend to enter the workforce immediately after graduation.

Vice Principal Lakell Johnson said the event offered a level of access older generations never had. She noted strong student interest in hospitality, construction, technical trades and BTVI’s dual-enrolment programmes.

Technical agencies also used the fair to introduce lesser-known professions. Jason Saunders of the Bahamas Air Navigation Services Authority said many students were unaware of air traffic control. After a simple demonstration, he said he was struck by the amount of children interested in the profession.

Students described the fair as “very good,” “educational,” and a chance to see “what they want to do in life.”

Labour officials will shift next week to job seekers already in the market, hosting an employability workshop and job fair at Epiphany Church Hall on Prince Charles Drive.