Turning a dream into reality

SAELESE HAYNES

Dear Ask AFETT,

I am a new teacher.

How do I get my charges to take career planning seriously?

The boys all seem to think they can be professional sportsmen and for the most part, the girls dream and believe they will become recording artistes.

I don’t want to discourage them, but I want them to be realistic and practical.

I am also appalled by some of the choices of inspiration they refer to.

Dear Teacher,

You already know that your role is crucial in shaping the future of our young people.

It is natural for children to have lofty aspirations, and while it is important to encourage their dreams, we can also guide them towards career planning that balances the things they are passionate about with functional societal needs and gaps.

I hear you loud and clear!

As a 40-under-40 national-service influencer, I spend a lot of my time with young people trying to ascertain how they plan to spend their next five-ten years transitioning from "kidulthood" into the working world.

It is also important for us as we mature to remember that we too were young once, and take this into account when managing our relationships with upcoming generations.

You used the word "appalled" in your description of your students’ sources of inspiration.

Perhaps a way to connect could be to challenge and encourage them to take away good values from the people they "vibe" with.

To illustrate this, a popular artiste or athlete who has started a complementary business can be used as an example of the usefulness of diversifying income streams with multiple streams of income. This in itself can be an applicable teachable moment.

Here are six additional tips that can assist with promoting and advancing discussions with your students.

Balance dreams with realism

Encourage your students to pursue their passions while also exploring other interests and talents.

You can highlight stories of individuals who have succeeded in sports or music, but also those who have leveraged their passions into related professional careers, such as coaching or business management, or, equally, into consumer businesses, whether related to or completely different from their primary day-to-day activities.

One of the best examples of this is Rihanna, who managed to leverage her popularity and personal style to move from the music industry to a billion-dollar business owner through her Fenty Beauty line of products.

Another teachable takeaway, whether your students are #TeamDrake or #TeamKendrick, is that both are astute businessmen and have started initiatives outside music – clothing and accessories in the case of Drake and film production and social ventures in the case of Kendrick Lamar.

Introduce beneficial spaces and initiatives

Introduce your students to spaces in TT where they can find inspiration and explore various careers.

Organisations with a mandate to develop youth human resources and capital such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service and Youth Business TT offer mentorship and support for young people.

Additionally, civil-society organisations such as AFETT, through their initiatives and events, provide valuable resources for career development, including the REACH mentorship programme, as well as this column, via which beneficial information about the world of work and business is shared.

Past AFETT articles have included features on starting a business, ways to turn one’s passion into a viable profession, tips for financial empowerment and leveraging the art of networking.

Highlight inspirational stories

There are people from TT doing amazing things in their respective spaces, both here and abroad.

You can share details and set projects around good news stories and sources of inspiration.

Please continue to keep in contact and remain part of our community; we’d be happy to present source material for inspiring stories from our AFETT membership and articles to broaden your students’ perspectives.

Leverage career exploration tools

You can suggest assessment tools to help students identify their strengths and interests for alignment with potential career paths.

Tools such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the DiSC Assessment and NeuroLeadership’s SCARF Assessment can provide valuable insights.

AFETT’s Career Handbook, initially published in 2004, remains a valuable resource, although it is due for an update. We look forward to communicating further details on this initiative later this year with the launch of the revised version.

Encourage networking and mentorship

Encourage your students to connect with professionals in various fields.

Networking events, career fairs and informational interviews can provide real-world insights and inspiration.

Recognise and address the emotional challenges your students may face on this aspect of the journey.

One thing that I have noticed is that students who may seem initially shy connect openly once they feel their fears about being "out there" are validated and addressed.

Promote lifelong learning

Instil the value of continuous education and skills development.

We’d suggest that you encourage students to pursue higher education, vocational training, and online courses, especially in modern and trending areas to broaden their knowledge and skill sets.

I can tell that you have an interest in initiatives that support career planning and development – we are happy to support you with conversations that bridge the intersection between passion and purpose.

We are here to support you on your journey to empower the next generation to realise their dreams and build a brighter future for TT.

Whatever they conceive and believe, they can achieve!