Think of Barbados in the 1950s.
Ministerial government had just come to Barbados with Grantley Adams as the first Premier while Errol Barrow was among the young parliamentary Turks.
Back then too, the United Nations (UN) had less than 75 members and the career choices of Bajan youth were limited to law, religion, the civil service, teaching or the first rung of a Bridgetown firm as a clerk.
Fast forward to 2012. Barbados is among the 193 states that belong to the UN; several Bajans are Wall Street executives; the son of Bajan immigrants is the US attorney general; Rihanna belongs to Time Magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people; and the Internet has reduced the far-flung corners of earth to a global village.
“In today’s world, young people in Barbados must not only think of careers that are applicable to their birthplace but those that can take them to any part of the world,” said Dave Dowrich, a vice-president of Goldman Sachs, an international investment banking behemoth and a pillar of Wall Street.
Renee Cutting, who has carved out a career niche for herself in philanthropy, helping major health care institutions raise money for research, art equipment and expansion of services, agrees with Dowrich.
“Quite a lot of people aren’t aware of the field that I am in and that is philanthropy,” said Cutting, president and founder of the Young Barbadian Professional Society (YBPS) in New York. “It has given me the opportunity to do some amazing things as far as giving back and raising money for some of the most important causes, such as cancer research and treatment.”
So when members of YBPS go to Barbados for the Barbados Network Consultation 2012 that will be attended by hundreds of professionals in an array of areas, including business, government, academia, scientific research, the law and the judiciary, science, the arts, high technology, travel and tourism, entertainment and the media, YBPS plans to hold an international career forum at the Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre to reach hundreds of Bajan youth to discuss career planning. It’s going to be an inter-active afternoon session on August 8 with one-on-one conversations between some Bajan high achievers in the Diaspora and tertiary and secondary students and other educational institutions.
“Our goal is to open up the eyes of young Barbadians at home to career possibilities they may not have even dreamed of,” said Cutting. “The youth will have a chance to network with captains of industry both locally and internationally.”
Dowrich is convinced the forum will give the young people an “unprecedented opportunity” to sit down with professionals from the United States, Canada, Britain, Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean to discuss what they are striving to accomplish.
“The Society is hoping that our young people would come out in large numbers and sit down with us to explore career choices,” said the former student of Wesley Hall Boys’ School and Harrison College. “The Barbadians should think globally, how they can aspire to positions in and out Barbados.”
Jan Franklin, a Wall Street vice-president of a major international European bank, is working alongside Dowrich as co-chair of the Society’s panel that is planning the forum. She said it was part of a mentoring programme which the YBPS considered to be vital.
“We will have some very successful role models for the young people,” she explained. “We are urging them to come and join us.”
Among those to participate in the forum are: Angela Brathwaite, a marine biologist; David Cutting, an international banking executive who has served in North America, Africa and Asia; Francesca Harewood, an attorney who is also director of business affairs for Disney and ABC Television; Gail Brathwaite, until recently the chief operating officer of the third largest bank in Connecticut; Marc McCollin, international brand manager of Mount Gay Rum; Adrian Padmore, general manager of the West India Biscuit Company; Dr Debra Brathwaite, a physician specialist in rehabilitation and sports medicine; Richard Williams, president of World Financial group of Canada; and Randy Brathwaite, business entrepreneur and managing attorney at a law firm in New York.
At least US$15 000 in scholarships will be awarded to Barbadian and Caribbean people during the forum which forms part of the Society’s Great Genes campaign.
Linda Gadsby, deputy general counsel of Scholastic, a leading international publisher of educational material, heads the scholarship panel. Awards are to go to James Sisnett, Barbados’ oldest living centenarian, Dr Leonard Nurse and Daniel Knight-Jablonka.
“We want to honour our families in the strong tradition of excellence,” Cutting explained.
Barbadians can register at www.ybpsintl.org/careerforum or email [email protected]
