University degree not automatic entitlement to be hired

“Having a university degree is a significant accomplishment, but it is no guarantee of things to come,” he told University of the West Indies St Augustine Campus final-year students on Thursday at the UWI World of Work (WOW) seminar and conference held at the UWI Sport and Physical Education Centre.

Giving an example, Howell said whenever Republic Bank recruits a new staff member, “We always look at what lies beyond the paperwork, the degrees, and the academic accomplishments.” He said, “We look at aptitude, but we are also very interested in attitude.” The bank does not look at where the employee will be in the next six or nine months beyond the probationary period, he said, but where they will be in the next five to 15 years even if by that time they are no longer a part of the team.

He noted that Republic Bank has sponsored the WOW programme over the past ten years and the bank has made it a priority.

Noting that the bank has worked together with the UWI in the pursuit of empowerment through education, Howell said its contribution include the bank’s ongoing support to the UWI Development and Endowment Fund and its $80 million contribution for the construction of the new home for the Department of Creative Arts and the construction of the North Campus Plaza.

In welcome remarks, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal Professor Brian Copeland said it was UWI’s belief that while education was meant to empower the individual for the job market, given today’s worrying state, education must ensure that society is maintained and developed.

Noting the changes in today’s world due to information technology and the internet and the impact it can have on one’s career, he said that education and etiquette go beyond using the right knife and fork at a business dinner, but also knowing what not to post and how to build and protect one’s online brand.