Pupils of a school in Devonshire were offered information on the world of work at a career fair yesterday.

Elliot Primary School featured about 12 stands where professionals from various fields of work shared with the pupils information on their jobs, including their experiences and knowledge.

Kimberly Creighton, the principal, said the purpose of the annual event was to expose children to multiple careers.

She explained: “The children don’t know a lot of the different fields that they can go into, so it is kind of like sparking their interest.

“We are trying to get as many careers out there as possible so that the children can learn about them and decide what they might want to do later in life.”

Ms Creighton said a former student of Elliot Primary, who became an accountant, attributed his job to a career fair that he attended while he was in P2.

“We want to open their eyes to possibilities,” she said.

Joy Pickstock, the Chief Dental Officer, said she was available to share aspects of dentistry with the pupils including information on specialists who work in the field.

Dr Pickstock said the theme “A healthy mouth, a healthy mind” was being promoted at the event.

“The various aspects of dentistry are being shared here with the students because we need some Bermudians that will come back to their country and become dentists and healthcare professionals,” she said.

“It starts from here, from the young ones,” Dr Pickstock added.

Choy Aming, a senior aquarist at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo, said he and his colleague were on hand to inform the pupils of their roles.

He added: “But also, we want to let them decide maybe if they want to get a career in this or a similar field, so we’re just here to give the children some direction.”

Mr Aming said: “If they want to pursue a job in an environmentally related field, this would be a good stepping stone, or just talking to us about something they want to do in the field.”

Nicola Costain, of Exclusive Flowers Bermuda, said her team was at the fair to “give back to the community and to show a different skill for the children”.

She added: “We’ve got lots of greenery and beautiful roses and it’s to have them learn a bit about our jobs and what we do”.

Shezemere Simmons, a colleague of Ms Costain, added: “It is also important for them to know that you don’t have to be a firefighter or a police officer, you can also be a florist.

“It’s non-traditional and you can learn a lot from it. It’s also very artistic.”

Gary Bartley, the owner of GQ Painting and General Maintenance, said his company provides house-painting, tank-cleaning and other services around the island.

He said: “Youth is important, and my son attends this school, so it is nice to show the children what they can be.

“At the end of the day not everybody wants to be lawyer or a judge; some people like working with their hands, so I thought it would be nice to come and support this event.

“This is my community … so it is nice to start with the youth.”

Sheri Tucker, a bus driver, said she was excited to share her experiences with the pupils.

Ms Tucker, who was earlier a mechanic and has been a driver with the Department of Public Transportation for the past eight years, said her duties can include training new drivers.

While the field of bus driving is male-dominated, she said women can also feature.

Ms Tucker, whose favourite service is Route 1, given its scenic views, added: “I encourage any woman to do anything their heart desires.

“We need to also teach our young ones to pursue their dreams, so today we are here to teach them how we go about our job and how we go about the routes around the island.”

Warren Foggo, a senior ferry master at the Department of Marine and Port Services, said he was happy to attend the event.

He explained: “I’m the master of the boats, so in the mornings I complete my various safety checks and ensure my crew has done everything they are required to do to prepare the boats for the day.”

Mr Foggo, who has been with the department for more than eight years, said he worked his way up from being a boat operator to ferry master.

He added: “Something that is very important in my job is safety. We cannot compromise on safety, so I shared that here today.”

Mr Foggo and his colleagues also gave presentations to the pupils about their duties.

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