As has become tradition, this week's Careers Fair at the Bermuda College promises to be a great success with over 80 exhibition stands, local and international guest speakers, a fashion show and entertainment by local performers.

Celebrating its fifth year, the ACE Foundation Careers 09, which runs on Thursday and Friday of this week, caters not only to students about to enter the job market, but also adults looking at new possibilities, college students looking to make a change and parents hoping to get their children connected.

In fact, this year's theme "Making the Connection" reflects the organisers' hope that students will connect their education and their career by speaking to exhibitors, asking questions pursuing, particular career paths and perhaps finding ways of turning their passion into a paying job.

Ralph Richardson, executive director of the ACE Foundation explains why it is important for students to make the connection between their learning and the workplace.

He recalls what happened to him: "I went to an academic school and I wasn't doing very well. I was doing physics and I didn't understand it and didn't see a practical application. But then I went to a technical school and I had to use the physics to understand the principle of the operation and it all came together."

He says it was just a matter of taking what he had learnt and applying it to something practical. "We're helping students to make this connection," he adds.

Over the last four years the ACE Foundation has maintained its strong collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Department of Labour and Training, the National Training Board, the Bermuda College, Bermuda Careers Centre, the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation, and the Public Transportation Board, to hold this event. And this year is no different.

"A deliberate effort is made to ensure that booths, demonstrations and presentations are geared towards stressing the importance of sound career planning," he says. "And towards exposing students to a wide variety of vocational, corporate, and entrepreneurial professions at the time of their lives when they're thinking about their future.

"The Careers Fair owes much of its success to the school counsellors who met with the organisers early in this current school year to not only familiarised themselves with the process, but also to provided valued feedback on previous year's exhibits, as well as ideas for improvement," he recalls. "Thanks to their feedback the full two-day event schedule aims to ensure every student understands the importance of career planning and higher education."

Every year the ACE Foundation has given away two computers at the fair, but this year it was decided to do something different.

"We wanted the kids to have to do something worthwhile for the computers, so this year we introduced an essay and graphics contest," he explains. "They have to write on the impact the Fair made on them, or do a graphic exhibit which shows how the Fair impacted them. The winner in each category wins a MacBook, made available from the iStore."

In tune with changing technology, exhibitors went high-tech last year using flat screen monitors; electronic games and other gadgets to attract their young visitors and this trend will continue.

The Bermuda College campus is also fully-utilised to ensure that the students are reached through a variety of stimulating ways with indoor booths, outdoor demonstrations, inspirational presentations, music and dance, in addition to the 'Dress for Success' fashion show — which last year was a big hit with students.

To that affect, the playing field, gymnasium and the Student Centre will once again house a variety of exhibiting organisations ranging from health care and banking to the construction and trade sectors, while the Technical Pavilion on the playing field will this year house an automotive mechanics exhibition.

Mr. Richardson explains that this year local artists and performers will participate in the Careers Fair for the first time.

"Typically we've always brought in international artists and presenters, but the budget has put some constraints on that. We decided that since we have artists here, we've invited photographers, performing artists, and the fashion show 'Dress for Success' will once again be part of the show," he says. "We've also invited several dance schools to participate. So we're focusing on local talent and local art and I'm sure the kids will love it."

Another new addition this year is a booth representing organisations that work towards the vibrancy of the community and work towards making Bermuda a better place.

"We want to students to look at the field of social entrepreneurship," he explains. "It's about people who want to create organisations working towards the good of the country by developing non-profit organisations. These are the organisations that could eventually spin-off to become some of the larger, most successful non-profit organisations."

As for the impact the current economic situation has had on Careers 09, Mr. Richardson elaborates: "This has been a very difficult year for a lot of companies, businesses and also Government. We were worried about whether or not we would be able to raise enough funding because the budget for the Fair is quite significant. But we are very thankful that our core sponsors have remained with us, with some new sponsors coming on board this year."

Last year some 2,500 students, from public senior and middle schools, students from the Bermuda College, as well as several home schools, private schools and those in the workforces attended the Careers Fair.

Careers 09 kicks off on Thursday morning at 9.40 a.m. when sponsors and Government representatives have an opportunity to address attendees and exhibitors, before the official opening at 10 a.m. The Fair will be open from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on both days.