Same careers: Are we exposing students to enough variety?

By Admin. Updated 10:10 a.m., Tuesday, May 26, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4). 

Marketing Communication specialist Candice Sealey has weighed in on the ongoing national discussion about students pursuing the same careers.

She was responding to recent comments made by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Mr. Myccle Burke, (and published by One News SVG) where he warned that too many students in St Vincent and the Grenadines are pursuing the same areas of study without fully considering employment realities or national development needs.

Ms. Sealey who agreed with Burke’s position said the article “really struck a cord” with her, said in a Facebook post:

“If we want young people to pay attention to certain industries, professions and skills, then those are the people we need to start putting in front of them from early.”

“When last have we seen or how often do we see the owner of a successful plumbing business, a creative entrepreneur, a welder, a farmer, a software developer, an engineer or someone in technical trades, content creation or Marketing/Communication (Yes I had to mention my field) being the featured speaker at graduations, youth forums or career days?” Sealey asked.

Sealey also challenged the status quo. “To be clear, this is not to discredit traditional professions at all. However sometimes we have to ask ourselves honestly: are we exposing students to enough variety? Are the people speaking to them relatable? Are we presenting different versions of success?”

“If certain industries are struggling to attract interest locally, maybe part of the conversation is how we position those careers,” she said.

Sealey ended by saying, “Some countries intentionally push industries they know will drive future growth. Maybe we also need to think more strategically about the areas we want to build capacity in here in SVG and start creating visibility around them now.”

Speaking during an interview with the Agency for Public Information (API) Inside Story on May 23rd, P.S Burke saidthere was growing concern about an “over-subscription” of students entering certain disciplines while other viable career paths remained overlooked.

“There are careers out there that are viable, careers out there that can benefit St Vincent,” he said. “But students are generally unaware of these careers because not enough research is done, not enough information is shared.”

Mr Burke said students often choose programmes based on passion alone, without assessing whether those fields align with labour market demands or economic opportunities.

“Students will say, ‘I am passionate about management, I am passionate about being a manager,’” he said. “But it makes absolutely no sense when passion is not aligned to reality.”

The comments came during a wider discussion on the role of the National Student Loan Company and the government’s disadvantaged student loan programme.

Mr Burke said the interview process for student loan applicants was designed not only to assess eligibility, but also to provide guidance to prospective students about educational and financial choices.

END