Students preparing for their final year of secondary school are being encouraged to pursue higher education studies in conservation and preservation.
To this end, Montserrat National Trust (Trust) will be hosting its first higher education evening on July 13, 2022. A release from the non-profit organisation, said the event endeavours to expose young people to careers within conservation, preservation, sustainability and biodiversity, as well as provide them with career advice to prepare them for employment, whether they are commencing their studies or about to graduate.
The event is scheduled to take place from 5–7pm in the Conference Room at the Trust, and will feature presentations from scientists, ecologists and archeologists from the following organisations:
● Cayman Islands National Trust (Cayman Islands);
● Chevening Scholarships (United Kingdom/Montserrat);
● The Department of Environment (Montserrat);
● Meise Botanical Gardens (Belgium);
● Montserrat Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme (Montserrat);
● National Parks Authority (Antigua and Barbuda);
● UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (United Kingdom);
● University of Exeter (United Kingdom);
● University of the West Indies (Montserrat); and
● Youth Development and Empowerment Programme (St. Lucia).
By engaging with people working in the industry, young people are expected to learn about seasonal jobs and internships, scholarships, and graduate programs. They will also learn more about industry associations related to their future degree, speak directly with professionals about career pathways, and ask any questions that they may have about working in the industry.
Sarita Francis, Director at the Montserrat National Trust said: “At the Montserrat National Trust we are celebrating the launch of our Hidden Histories project, which aims to shine a light on the impact that our colonial history has had on our natural and cultural environment. However, by hosting our first Higher Education Evening we are also focusing on the future, as the event will expose the young people of Montserrat to the wide variety of jobs that are available in this industry.”
By joining this industry young people can make a massive difference, earn competitive salaries, specialise in a particular area of work, benefit from shared resources, work alongside experienced colleagues and travel the world” she added.
All students from Montserrat Secondary School and Montserrat Community College are invited. However, the event will really benefit students in fourth form and above who are looking for information about university courses, so that we can show them what career options are available in our industry and the importance of starting their employment journey as early as possible.
For the inaugural Higher Education Evening, the Trust has partnered with the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Ministry of Agriculture, Land, Housing and Environment, Meise Botanic Garden, UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum and the Leeds Museum and Galleries.
