Hundreds of secondary school students across Barbados got a first-hand look at diverse education, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities last week at the 3E’s Fair, an innovative outreach event organized by the Pinelands Creative Workshop (PCW) at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
Built as an extension of PCW’s long-running Career & Life Management (C.A.L.M.) Programme, which has supported Barbadian youth for 26 years, the event was made possible through collaborative funding and support from the Maria Holder Charitable Trust, and three government ministries: labour, environment and health. Unlike traditional career information sessions held within school walls, the 3E Fair brought dozens of industry, education and training providers together in an interactive, student-focused setting designed to demystify post-graduation pathways.
For participating students, the fair delivered far more than generic career advice—many left with tangible skills and expanded perspectives on what their professional futures could hold. Upper Sixth student Rylan Beckles of St Michael School highlighted the practical, actionable guidance he gained at the event’s booths, noting that representatives walked attendees through core professional skills from resume building to personal branding, helping young people build the confidence they need to stand out to employers.
Fellow St Michael School Lower Sixth student Kaitlin Balgobin echoed that praise, emphasizing that the fair created space for students to explore roles they had never previously considered. “I was literally quite able to learn about the 3 Es: education, entrepreneurship, and employment,” she said. “I think this fair was really beneficial to students because you were able to walk around and see many different booths that may be a part of your career, or careers outside of that, that could have really impacted you.”
Siân Pniak, also a Lower Sixth student at St Michael School, noted that the event pushed back against common misconceptions that young people must lock themselves into a single career path straight out of secondary school. “I truly believe that it was a great opportunity as well for the students as we are truly the future of Barbados,” she said. Pniak pointed out that the event encouraged students to embrace flexible trajectories: students should not feel pressured to follow only one path, nor feel ashamed of starting at an entry-level role or building a business gradually. Even for students who already have a clear career goal, the fair highlighted unexpected connections between related fields, she added—for Pniak, who plans to become a sports therapist, exploring podiatry exhibits offered new, complementary insights to advance her goal.
For fifth-form St George Secondary School student Ariel Barker-Yarde, the fair clarified critical logistics around her planned future studies at Barbados Community College, and also changed her perspective on entrepreneurship. She learned that starting a business does not require choosing between traditional employment and self-employment: “So even though you might be a nurse or a doctor, you can still be an entrepreneur.”
Her classmate Anique Waithe added that the event offered learning opportunities that extend far beyond standard secondary school curricula. Despite not having a background in sports, she gained new insights into the role of Barbados’ Sports Council, while the medical booth taught her practical foundational knowledge of human biology and first aid. Waithe also said the event demystified entrepreneurship for young people, showing that successful businesses do not have to launch fully formed—young people can start small and scale their ventures over time. “You don’t have to start when older to start your own business. You could start from small and grow big to get better at it,” she said.
Reane Alleyne, a Lower Sixth student at Christ Church Foundation School, highlighted the diversity of sectors represented at the fair, from dietetics to marine conservation. The environmental exhibits, in particular, introduced her to new information about local ecological issues, including endangered species native to Barbados that she had never learned about in class. “I really enjoyed learning everything, and then I also enjoyed the speeches that we had on stage. It was very informative,” she said.
Her schoolmate Zion Kellman noted that the event challenged narrow assumptions about what career opportunities exist within different sectors. For example, he explained, food nutrition is far more than culinary arts—professionals in the field can build businesses developing specialized dietary products for people with dietary restrictions. Even marine conservation, he pointed out, includes a range of entrepreneurial and employment opportunities that many students never consider.
For Alleyne School student Jonathan Ward, the fair combined useful learning with a fun, engaging day out with peers, highlighting the appeal of hands-on career exploration that moves beyond textbook lessons. As Barbados continues to invest in youth workforce development, organizers say the 3E Fair will remain a key annual initiative to help the next generation of Barbadian workers and leaders build fulfilling, flexible careers aligned with their interests.