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Fred Ezeh
The management of Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Bwari, Abuja, last week, stated that classroom activities alone cannot equip their students with requisite knowledge and skills that would guarantee their relevance in a 21st century that is driven by knowledge.
The college, perhaps, realised the difference between job and career, and the need for students to identify their God-given talents early in life, which is critical in choosing career paths for fulfilment of dream and accomplishment.
To this end, the school organised a three-day career talk/event for students. The event brought an array of accomplished resource persons in different areas of life under one roof to share experiences with the students. They shared secrets of their careers and the steps they took to develop their careers.
The event, which coincided with the 35th anniversary of the school, also had in attendance ex-students of FGGC Bwari, who, perhaps, got similar advice and suggestions from their teachers and guidance counsellor in their time, followed it diligently in and out of school and succeeded thereafter in their chosen fields.
In addition, the students were told several stories of great men and women who realised their talents early in life, nourished them through help from teachers and parents and went ahead to become global icons.
Principal of the college, Stella Omu, who spoke before the commencement of the event at the school compound in Bwari, Abuja, encouraged the students to take advantage of the event to make informed choices of career and diligently develop it.
She stressed that the world was ruled by knowledge, and it was better for the students to discover themselves and unearth the great abilities and talents that God had deposited in them, make a life out of it and change the world for the better.
She reminded them of functional and effective guidance counsellor’s office in the school, manned by competent staff who are ever-willing to listen to them, neutralise their confusion and guide them properly on way to go about their chosen career.
She believed that every career, if properly managed and requisite knowledge and skills acquired, has the potential to birth billionaires and world changers, thus disabusing their minds that only people in a particular profession could make meaningful impact on the society.
She said: “Students will always tell you that they want a career in law, medicine, engineering, aviation and few other ones because they believe it gives quick financial success. That is the wrong impression and that is what we want to correct by assembling accomplished individuals from both the profession they love and outside their usual choice of career.
“It baffles me that students hardly aspire to be journalists, teachers, caterers, hospitality managers and the like. These are some of the professions that transform society. They don’t believe they can a make better life through such opportunities. But many people round the world have ignited global transformation through such professions.”
The founder, Youth Reformation and Awareness Center, Margaret Udo, took the students through an interactive class on why they are in school and what is expected of them at the end of school in terms of knowledge and skills.
She succeeded in using her story and that of successful local and international icons to inspire and illuminate the mind and brain of the students on issues of career choice and how they could grow it.
She was impressed with the attention, responses and questions from students that participated in the event, saying that it was an indication that the students learnt new things.
Meanwhile, the guidance counsellor of the college, Dr. Ngozi Adeola, said that it has been long time since the college an elaborate career day for students.
She commended the school Principal and other management staff for the event, hoping that the students would pick useful knowledge and inspiration from the presentations and interactions for global relevance in their chosen career.
She said: “Students always bombard my office with enquiries on how to become a medical doctor, lawyer, engineer, pilot and others. It is not a bad idea though, but I want to hear them asked questions on how to build a career in catering, hospitality management, media development, teaching and several other professions.”
She appealed to the school management to support such meetings regularly so the students could continually be enlightened on the best part to follow regarding their choice of career.
