Dear Career Advisor:

Good to know about you. My son is not the brightest in education but he is good at what he does. He is a past student of a private high school in St Elizabeth. He did City & Guilds exams and obtained four passes. Where can I send him to do his plumbing course? HEART Trust has a long waiting line of potential students. I don’t want him lose focus. I am willing to pay for him to get his career.

Yours truly

AF

Thank you very much for your question.Do bear in mind that ‘bright’ should not only be measured by the number of passes in examinations or the number of years spent in school. We are all gifted differently. Do continue to support your son and encourage him to excel in the areas of his giftedness and interests.Besides the HEART Trust/NTA and other institutions that offer HEART Trust/NTA- certified NVQ-J plumbing courses, we are not aware of any other schools that offer formal training and recognised certification in plumbing. We therefore recommend that you encourage him to take the first step and apply to pursue the training at one of the vocational institutes operated by HEART Trust/NTA in St Elizabeth or neighbouring parishes. You may be surprised by how quickly the waiting time passes.While he is waiting to receive formal training in plumbing, you might want to encourage him to become an informal apprentice to someone who is a recognised practitioner in the field. Alternatively, he could explore working or volunteering with a firm or person in the construction industry, indicating that he has particular interest in plumbing. This type of engagement should help to keep him motivated and re-affirm his interest in the field.All the best,

Dear AF

Thank you very much for your question.

Do bear in mind that ‘bright’ should not only be measured by the number of passes in examinations or the number of years spent in school. We are all gifted differently. Do continue to support your son and encourage him to excel in the areas of his giftedness and interests.

Besides the HEART Trust/NTA and other institutions that offer HEART Trust/NTA- certified NVQ-J plumbing courses, we are not aware of any other schools that offer formal training and recognised certification in plumbing. We therefore recommend that you encourage him to take the first step and apply to pursue the training at one of the vocational institutes operated by HEART Trust/NTA in St Elizabeth or neighbouring parishes. You may be surprised by how quickly the waiting time passes.

While he is waiting to receive formal training in plumbing, you might want to encourage him to become an informal apprentice to someone who is a recognised practitioner in the field. Alternatively, he could explore working or volunteering with a firm or person in the construction industry, indicating that he has particular interest in plumbing. This type of engagement should help to keep him motivated and re-affirm his interest in the field.

All the best,

Career Advisor

Carolyn Marie Smith is associate vice-president of student affairs at Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, Manchester. Submit your questions to her at careeradvisor@ncu.edu.jm