Jaffna education fair to guide students

Harshini PERERA

Apart from the conventional career paths such as medicine, engineering and accounting, there is potential for new career paths such as agriculture, communication studies and business oriented studies in Jaffna, said Assistant General Manager of Pico Events, Emile Gunesekera.

He was speaking at a media briefing on the Jaffna Education Fair (JEF) 2009 and Education and Career Fair 2009.

The JEF is holding the education fair in Jaffna for the first time.

Since 1995 there has been an immense growth in the trade fair organizing industry of Sri Lanka. We have targeted 2,000-4,000 students a day at JEF and entrance will be free.

Many educational institutes will facilitate the students in Jaffna, in identifying opportunities for higher education especially those who were unable to enter universities.

Jaffna once a war-torn city has many prospects for education with the dawn of peace. Hence, many students can pursue higher education either in Sri Lanka or overseas, he said.

Forty exhibitors have already registered for JEF 2009, filling the long-staring vacuum for higher education.

Therefore, Pico Events has been encouraged by this initiation and hopes to continue it as an annual event on a large scale, said the Executive Director, Pico Events, Shanti Outschoorn.

She said that Pico Events expects international exhibitors to participate in future events because a peaceful condition prevails in Sri Lanka.

The Jaffna Education Fair will be held from September 15-16 at the Jaffna Central College while the Education and Career Fair 2009 will be held from September 11-13 in Colombo for the eighth consecutive year.