NEW CAREER KEY (Caribbean edition) IS OUT

The new, updated Career Key (Caribbean edition) is available. It will be in use in workshops across the Caribbean area.  This psychometric test has been widely used throughout the Caribbean for over 15 years and has been found to be most reliable in helping people to know their personality and choosing a suitable career in which they will be happy and successful. EMAIL choices at - info@choicesonlinejm.com - for more information on our packages for students, parents, counsellors and teachers.
The Career Key Test is also available online - CLICK HERE

CHOICES COLLABORATES WITH LIVE WELL JAMAICA TO HELP INTERNS

Live Well Jamaica blog recently hosted a closing ceremony for its final batch of interns for

2018.

Certificates and special awards for outstanding work were presented to interns who completed the three-month work and training opportunity by blog Manager, Ashleigh-Ann Mowatt. A guest presentation was made to the group by Angela deFreitas, General Manager of CHOICES Career & Education Advice, which collaborated with Live Well Jamaica by offering opportunities.

Recognised at the ceremony were Madeline Green, for marketing consultancy, Yanique Bacchas for social media management and Jamie Lee Brown.

Live Well Jamaica is a repository of positive, Jamaican stories and encouraging news and information about Jamaica and Jamaicans.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

PIC (TOP) – Angela deFreitas, General Manager of CHOICES Career & Education Advice (left) shows off the company’s award after receiving it from Live Well Jamaica’s Manager, Ashleigh-Ann-Mowatt.

PIC (BOTTOM) – Interns Yanique Bacchas (left) and Jamie Lee Brown with their awards.

Choosing The Right Career (TVJ Smile Jamaica) - August 27 2018

CHOICES HELPS BAJAN STUDENTS AT SMOOTH TRANSITIONS WORKSHOP

Twenty young Barbadians proved to be eager participants in the second Smooth Transitions Career Camp staged at The St. Michael’s School in the Barbados capital, Bridgetown, in August, 2018

.

The participants, in the age group 13 – 19, were drawn from a cross-section of that island’s secondary schools and spent a week learning more about their personality, interests, skills and suitable careers, in addition to how to prepare themselves for the world of work. Poise and deportment were introduced by a special guest, Miss Alexandria Secondary School, Ebony Forde.

After using The Career Key Test and other materials provided by CHOICES Career & Education Advice, the group researched careers suited to their personality and which they had never thought about and were challenged with mock interviews and the elevator pitch speech.

In addition to having the opportunity of practical experiences such as creating their own vision board to guide their future success, they also engaged in sporting activities, ice-breaker and team-building exercises, a treasure hunt and talent show.

According to Angela deFreitas, General Manager of CHOICES, whose company partnered with Smooth Transitions in presenting the career camp, “The career camp was a unique idea, conceptualised by Smooth Transitions, was well-received by those who participated and should certainly help them in moving forward successfully”. A transition camp for students moving on from 6^th to 7^th grade was held simultaneously and was equally as successful. 

Hello St. Lucia and the students of St. Joseph's Catholic Secondary School. Thanks for participating in a great workshop.

CHOICES/ROTARY PARTNERSHIP BENEFITS ANTIGUAN STUDENTS

More than 100 students from two secondary schools in the eastern Caribbean island of Antigua recently benefitted from a partnership between CHOICES Career & Education Advice and the Rotary Club of Antigua which has helped them in finding the right career path. The students aged from 13-18, were from the Christian Faith Academy and the Princess Margaret Secondary School, both located in the island’s capital, St. John’s. They were introduced to the Career Key, a self-assessment tool which helped them to identify their interests, skills, values, aptitudes and personality in a workshop entitled “Choosing the Right Career; Matching Skills & Subjects” which was presented by Angela deFreitas, general manager of CHOICES. The CHOICES career programme was identified several years ago when Mrs Evangeline Allen became president-elect of the Rotary Club and began negotiations with CHOICES towards implementing it as part of her presidency. According to Mrs. Allen, the Rotary initiative is about helping young persons to realise their full potential through good educational and career choices. The workshops at these schools were part of CHOICES 2017 Caribbean tours which have so far included several other schools in Antigua and also schools in Barbados and St. Lucia. CHOICES is this year celebrating 20 years of its flagship publication CHOICES Career & Education Magazine in Jamaica and the culmination of and 10 years of work with the Career Key in the wider Caribbean. Contact: Angela deFreitas Email: info@choicesonlinejm.com Watsap:876-782-1644

Students get career guidance - Lead Stories - Jamaica Gleaner - Thursday | April 17, 2014

Students get career guidance - Lead Stories - Jamaica Gleaner - Thursday | April 17, 2014

GET READY FOR CHOICES IN MONTEGO BAY, TUESDAY APRIL 15, 2014

Are you planning to be part of Jamaica’s world-class workforce of the 21st century? Well come to our CHOICES Zoom Seminar entitled “Preparing for The Future World of Work”. Further details are below: DATE: Tuesday April 15, 2014 TIME: 9 a.m. – 3p.m. (Registration from 8a.m. – 9a.m.). LOCATION: West Jamaica Conference Centre, Mount Salem, Montego Bay TARGET GROUP: Secondary-level students ENTRANCE COST: $300 per student. All students who attend will do The Career Key Test, critical to making the correct career choice and which they will get to keep for themselves. Career counselling will be available. For more information follow this link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p5ywoyxP48&feature=em-share_video_user Teachers accompanying students enter free of cost. This event will use the proven and successful CHOICES one-stop-shop formula with students participating in talks and presentations and exhibitors sharing in the activities in order to provide relevant information for them. There will be presentations & talks on The Future World of Work including Preparing for STEM Careers, Writing A Winning Cover Letter & Resume and more. During this event students will be introduced to job-ready requirements such as the soft skills, the 17 foundation skills which will help them to success - valuing cultural differences, diversity; reading; writing; listening; speaking; mathematics – and much more, creating their life success portfolio . There will be lots of prizes, give-aways and contests for teachers and students. ON SALE: CHOICES Magazines for all grade levels at $100 each and other CHOICES materials. CHOICES CAREER RESOURCE INFORMATION PACKAGES - $3500 each on that day only for counsellors, form teachers, grade supervisors, libraries and career resource areas. We look forward to your response and to your school’s participation. We must advise that the earlier you can confirm your attendance the better as there will be limited space available.

CARIBBEAN TOURING

A week "on the road" at the end of January 2014 saw CHOICES popping in to Barbados, moving on to St. Kitts-Nevis and rounding off with a quick stop in St. Lucia. Students in secondary schools in Barbados, St. Lucia and St.Kitts benefitted from career awareness workshops while counsellors in St. Kitts-Nevis received introductory training to CHOICES and its products including The Career Key, Caribbean edition. New schools added to our list were Ellerslie Secondary in Barbados - kudos to Mrs. Andrea Baptiste and Mr. Cumberbatch - and Saddler's and Charles E. Mills Secondaries and Basseterre High in St. Kitts - thanks to Mr. Dublin-Collins, Ms Everlene Huggins and Ms Charmaine Heyliger at BHS, Anester Mulraine and Mr. Roysdean Richards at CEMSS.  The big link-up of Dr. Lawrence Jones, author and President of The Career Key took place in Basseterre for the training of the counsellors there.

How Do I Choose The Right Career?

REGISTRATION FOR CHOICES WORLD

Caribbean students match personality with careers

EMU) – St. Kitts, January 22, 2013: Students of the Basseterre High, Verchilds, Saddlers Secondary and Cayon High Schools recently participated in a Choices Career Awareness Workshops designed to help them identify aspects of their personalities which would suit them for specific career types. Local coordinator of the three-day event Education Officer Mrs. Lisa-Romayne Pistana told the Education Media Unit she found the programme which travelled throughout the Caribbean, to be very effective in terms of its practical approach to helping students by administering the Career Key Personality Test.

 
Facilitator, Ms. Angela Defreitas who is General Manager of “Choices” which is a career and education advice company based in Jamaica, said the programme seeks to assist students in getting ready for high school success; as well as to choose the right subjects and career based on their specific abilities and personalities. Among activities students were involved in were the Choices Career Game and interactive quizzes.
The objective of the activities was to bring students a clearer understanding who they are as individuals and what they should be focusing on at school as well as to determine how the right choices are pivotal to future success.
The students were motivated to identify their personal strengths, skills and talents.
Ms. Defreitas revealed that the Career Key Test is recognized internationally as the foremost and most accurate method of helping persons if they fit in the category of Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising or Conventional.

GET A QUICK READ

If you would like to get a quick read of CHOICES Career & Education Magazines just to sample what's inside go <> and enjoy.

HOW READY ARE OUR STUDENTS?

On February 9, 2011, Jamaica’s Minister of Education made a landmark announcement launching career awareness programmes at all levels of the education system islandwide. 

We at CHOICES Career & Education Advice at that time said, “Hip Hip Hooray!”  We were fully on board and in fact had been for nearly 15 years prior to this announcement.  At the time we expressed hope that it would become viral, quickly spreading to all schools in the island and that a Caribbean breeze would blow the concept throughout the region also.  We continue to support this initiative 100% and those other institutions and organisations such as HEART/NTA which continue to lead the charge.

We know that this is the way to go and what CHOICES Career Advice has recommended in the near 15 years or three cohorts of secondary students since beginning to provide career and education advice and information in the Caribbean.

But is this new thrust in this area having any effect on the 50,000 or so students who are moving out of the system each year?

Do they know any better who they are, what they should be doing, where they should be heading and how they’re going to get there?

Our answer is a resounding no.

How many of these students have had the chance of doing a psychometric test to help them in understanding their values, aptititudes, interests, personality, skills, strengths and talents? How many of them have had the opportunity of sitting down for a one-on-one with a counsellor (read career counsellor) to guide them through to their next phase – an absolute must which we have constantly recommended.

How many of them even have the makings of a career portfolio containing a resume, a cover letter and other information to help them in their future?

These are some of things for which we have been advocating for over 15 years since beginning our work in this area.

We still believe and reiterate that:

·         Career education must be naturally incorporated into the curriculum at all levels of the system

·         Every must student must do a self-assessment or psychometric test such as The career Key at some time during their secondary schooling, preferably before choosing the subjects which they will sit at CSEC level

·         That every single student must receive one-on-one career counselling before leaving secondary level.

·         That career counsellors must be an integral part of the educational landscape.

·         That secondary schooling should end with every student owning a career portfolio.

·         That secondary schooling should end with a student having stated their intention, somewhere, to someone, as to what they intend to do next.

·         That secondary schooling should end with every student writing an application letter to a potential employer; filling out a university, college or training programme application.

For our part we continue in our efforts to assist as many people as possible in choosing the right career.

Angela deFreitas

info@choicesonlinejm.com

Sex, School, Relationships - Do They Fit?

Get a read off this issue of CHOICES Career & Education Magazine and find out more on this hot topic amongst teens - what sex, is; what it is not; what is date rape, sexual assault and more.

You can also learn more about abstinence, STI's, STD's, AIDS.  It's a must-read for all teens.
Order copies from CHOICES for special discounts on large school quanties - 876-924-7473  - or it's also at Sangster's.

BACK ON TRACK

Hey,

It's been quite some time but we've had lots on the agenda.
Now, we're ready again.
We have had three new magazines out - themed Guide to High School Success; Sex, School, Relationships - Do They Fit? and Motivated By Sports. Hope you've seen them by now.

CHOICES Song Contest - Entry Runaway Bay HEART

Here is one of the Entries for our CHOICES SONG CONTEST Mandeville  leg ..Held at our CHOICES Career and Education Show in Mandeville

Drop us a line and tell us what you think

CHOICES CAREER & EDUCATION EXPO - KINGSTON - TUESDAY JUNE 7, 2011

                                                                                                           

 

Details of our annual CHOICES Career & Education show in Kingston are outlined below. We look forward to seeing you there as usual.

WHAT:                                    CHOICES Career & Education Show

WHEN & WHERE:                    Tuesday June 7 from 9a.m. – 5p.m at The University of Technology, 237 Old Hope Road, Kingston.

WHO SHOULD COME:             All secondary level students, parents, teachers and other school personnel and especially those in nearby parishes. You may bring as many students as you wish. We ask that you fill out the attendance form below so that we can prepare for you adequately if you plan for a large number.

ENTRY COST:                                     Students in uniform - $250/ Adults - $400

DAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

Visitors to this Expo will be exposed to career, education and life issues and also experience a pleasant, educational and sometimes life-changing day out.

STAGE PROGRAMME:            This will highlight the importance of the academic, professional and vocational skills mixture; short presentations, quizzes, prizes and surprise give-aways.  The “CHOICES You’ve Got Talent Contest” will end the day.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING:        A leadership training workshop on "Goal Setting in the Context of Student Leadership” will be staged for students age 14-18 by The Children’s Coalition of Jamaica in association with CHOICES. You may select 4 students from your school within the age group to participate. We must have their names in advance and their age.

FREE “CAREER KEY” WORKSHOP - A free workshop for students who are confused or uncertain about the career path to choose.  The Career Key Test is based on the Holland RIASEC theory of career choice.  It helps students to know their personality type, to find the best career for them and leads them to a listing of over 400 careers categorised by personality types.  Register your students at the CHOICES booth on the day of the Expo.

SPECIAL TALK FOR COUNSELLORS/TEACHERS/PRINCIPALS – The day’s programme will include a special talk for counsellors and teachers.  More information on this soon as we are now finalising details.

CAREER COUNSELLING:       Trained career counsellors will be on hand for anyone who needs one-on-one counselling.

EXHIBITS:                               An exhibition featuring educational and other institutions.

FREE EYE TESTING:               By the Lions Club of St. Andrew Central.

ON SALE:                                All CHOICES publications and other products for students, parents and trainers will be on sale.  “HOT DOG MAN” will be on spot with delicious American-Style jumbo hot dogs served with mustard, ketchup, cheese, relish, mayo, sauerkraut, hot pepper sauce... “Hot Dog Combo” – one jumbo hot dog, lemonade and banana chips - $200.

We look forward to welcoming your school family to this event.  You may call us at 924-7473/925-0804/782-1644 for more information.

Yours sincerely,

Angela deFreitas – General Manager

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONFIRMATION OF ATTENDANCE

CHOICES Career & Education Expo

on Tuesday June 7, 2011

at The University of Technology

Please mail, deliver or fax confirmation to: CHOICES, 100 Shortwood Road, Kingston 8; Fax - 925-0804.

Name of Institution:_____________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________

Telephone: ________________________Fax_______________

e-mail:________________________________

Contact Person:______________________________________________________Cell #__________________

------- students  will attend ; -------adults will attend .

                                                    LEADERSHIP TRAINING WORKSHOP

The following students will attend the “Leadership Training Workshop”

1. NAME……………………………………………………………………….; AGE…………………

2. NAME……………………………………………………………………….; AGE…………………

3. NAME……………………………………………………………………….; AGE…………………

4. NAME……………………………………………………………………….; AGE…………………

CHOICES “YOU’VE GOT TALENT” CONTEST ENTRY

                                     Fill out the form below and fax to 925-0804, email info@choicesonlinejm.com

or mail to 100 Shortwood Road, Kingston 8, Jamaica

Name of Institution:________________________________________

Contact Person:______________________________________________________

Tel # ________________________________________Cell # _________________

Please list names of participants (4 maximum):               

q  1   _____________________

q   2   _____________________

q  3   ________________________

q  4   _______________________

q  Supervising teacher (if any)_______________________________

v   Deadline for submission of details of entrants is 4p.m on Friday May 27, 2011

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                     

                  DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

                    CAN YOU WRITE, SING, PERFORM, RECITE …

                         WELL USE YOUR TALENT TO WIN IN THE

           CHOICES “YOU’VE GOT TALENT”

             CONTEST

CHOICES  is encouraging you to use your special talents to win prizes.

GREAT PRIZES for the winning entry and a teacher’s prize for a teacher who has helped the group.

GUIDELINES

Presentation must be clean, motivational and positive.

Maximum 4 persons

RULES

Original ideas only

One entry per school

Presentations must be a maximum of 90 seconds

Details of entrants must be received by Friday May 27 at 4p.m..

Fill out an entry form and fax to 925-0804, email info@choicesonlinejm.com, mail to 100 Shortwood Road, Kingston 8, Jamaica or call CHOICES now.

JUDGING

Entries will be judged on creative presentation; content; adherence to time.

The judges’ decision is final.

Teacher’s prize – teacher must have helped the group

The contest will take place at CHOICES Career & Education Expo on Tuesday June 7, 2011 at UTECH, 237 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6 in the closing show.

All entries become the property of CHOICES. Entries will be recorded for You Tube, CHOICES website – www.choicesonlinejm.com and CHOICES blog – www.choosingtherightcareer.blogspot.com.  We reserve the right to pre-select entries for presentation on the day.

“EVERYBODY HAS CHOICES”