Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dana Morris Dixon (right), and Minister of Health and Wellness, Christopher Tufton (third left)), listen as Consultant at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, Dr. Lisa-Ann Berry-McDowell (left), explains a medical procedure using a manikin. They are joined by Secretary of Health from the Republic of the Philippines, Dr. Teodoro Herbosa (second right), and Consultant at the Bustamante Hospital, Dr. Matthew-Anthony Lyew (second left). The occasion was the Health and Wellness Career Expo and Employment Fair on Wednesday (January 22) at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, St Andrew. Photo by Yhomo Hutchinson
January 24, 2025
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dana Morris Dixon, is encouraging more young people to pursue careers in health.
She noted that the Government is committed to ensuring young Jamaicans are trained and equipped to become highly skilled professionals in the sector.
It is for this reason, she said, that the ministry collaborated with the Health and Wellness Ministry in staging the just concluded Career Expo and Employment Fair to highlight opportunities in healthcare.
“This expo [was] about showing our youth the significant roles they can play in shaping Jamaica’s healthcare system,” Senator Morris Dixon noted.
“We all rely on healthcare at some point in our lives. It’s essential that we have the best professionals working in this field, and that’s what [the expo was] all about,” the minister added.
Dixon was addressing the opening ceremony for the expo and employment fair, which was held from January 22-23 at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona campus in St Andrew.
The event connected students with career paths in health and wellness, with representatives from the health sector offering guidance on education, scholarship opportunities and valuable insights into high-demand professions.
The event was part of an initiative to identify people to fill some 600 vacancies in the health care system.
Dixon highlighted the importance of strategic partnerships in achieving the objective of boosting human resource capacity in health.
“The Government believes in the power of partnership. When Minister Tufton reached out to us, it was an easy decision. This expo [was] about ensuring that we have the right people in the healthcare system by preparing our youth for success in this vital field,” she stated.
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