fall term of the school year. "We schedule it to take place before the (Bermuda) College fair because students have to make important decisions about college at this time,'' said Whitney Institute guidance counsellor Mrs.

Elizabeth Saunders. She added that although career awareness day has not been held every year since its inception, they try to make it an annual event.

"The day allows students to see what a career is all about and no matter what the outcome, it is successful. "Students may find a career is different than they expected or they may confirm their original beliefs -- either way, they find out what it's all about. It's like a reality check,'' she said. After surveying student job interests, Mrs. Saunders contacts suitable firms and asks them to take on students for one working day. "Employers tend to be very accessible and they show a lot of willingness to put aside time for our students,'' noted Mrs. Saunders. Appleby, Spurling and Kempe were especially helpful when they sent the school a schedule of the day's planned events before the students even arrived. "The Bank of Butterfield was also very helpful as were most of the companies we contacted,'' she said, adding that 45 businesses were called and all of them agreed to the career awareness programme. Students love the idea of a career awareness day, said Mrs.

Saunders, because it gives them a sense of what a working day is like. "Last year on November 15, 78 students entered the working world for one day,'' she said. "They toured hospitals, tested their accounting skills, assisted teachers, sat in on court cases and repaired water pumps to name just a few of the interests and activities that were covered.'' One of Whitney's pupils, who is interested in nursing home care, went to Packwood Home and loved it.

Another spent the day at an engineering firm where he was able to work on a computer. Centre Re had one of Whitney's top students and it prepared to offer her summer employment, noted Mrs. Saunders, adding that a former student now works summers for the company where he spent his career day. "The programme is very successful -- especially if students find out the job they were interested in is not for them.'' Mrs. Saunders noted that she sometimes sends students to former Whitney students in the workplace that have made it. "It builds a special relationship between students and the employee and it shows the students what they too can achieve.'' PHOTO LEARNING FASHION -- Trimingham's assistant buyer Ms Jenny McGavern describes to Gernee Brangman how separates can be coordinated.