Students attend UK skills fair

Reena Panchorie, Head —International Trade and Investment in the Department for International Trade at the British High Commission, said this was the second such fair put on by the High Commission following the first one which was held last year.

She said they were overwhelmed by the response last year and had catered for 750 students this year but by lunchtime more than that number had passed through the fair with St Joseph’s Convent alone bringing 150 students.

She said the enthusiasm reflected the high reputation a UK education enjoyed in this country and around the world. And despite Brexit and Britain’s imminent withdrawal from the European Union, she said “we are open for business.” The UK Higher Education and Skills Fair is expected to be held in alternate years from now on. Panchorie said the main purpose of the fair was to promote the offerings of British universities and institutions of higher learning to the people of Trinidad and Tobago and provide an opportunity for British tertiary level institutions to forge partnerships with their local counterparts.

Indeed, at the start of the fair, there was a closed session in which representatives of British universities met with the heads of local tertiary level institutions to seek partnerships to provide their products through local institutions whether by online or distance learning or through the exchange of professors.

She said that in spite of the many local institutions which already offer UK university programmes to local students — many of which were present at the fair — there is a great desire by British institutions to expand the range of programmes available to local students. The Minister of Education visited the fair and cut a ribbon to formally declare it open.