Secondary school students explore career opportunities at NAPHEI maiden fair

Secondary school students in Cameroon’s South West Region have obtained career guidance from the National Association of Private Higher Education Institutions (NAPHEI).

This happened during NAPHEI’s maiden education fair which was held in Buea recently with the aim to foster entrepreneurship and guide final-year secondary school students in choosing their university.

Under the theme, “Entrepreneurship at the Heart of Private Universities,” the event aimed to showcase the diverse educational offerings of private higher learning institutions and provide students and parents with insights into career paths aligned with the evolving landscape of higher education.

Gabriel Raoul, the National Executive Secretary of the National Association of Private Higher Educational Institutions in Cameroon, expressed the rationale behind the fair, stating, “Our wish is to bring together all private higher education and show students and parents our training offerings. The new orientation of the national law is to make a student an entrepreneur.”

Highlighting the significance of the fair, Marcellus, President of the South West Association of Private Higher Education Institutions, emphasized the importance of students interacting with private universities to understand the array of educational opportunities available.

“The idea is to bring together potential university students in the next few months by September, October, and we thought it wise that they should have an opportunity to come in contact with particularly the private universities to understand what they offer,” he stated.

Stakeholders from various higher institutions participated in the fair, offering insights into their respective academic programs.

Ndango Donatus, Deputy Registrar of HIBMAT University in Buea, emphasized the institution’s commitment to providing career guidance to potential university students.

“We have come to give orientation to our potential university students next year who want to know the career opportunities available to them. We offer a wide spectrum of courses,” he explained.

The fair also welcomed the participation of representatives from the Regional Delegation of Secondary Education, including Mr. Mbeng Franklin Enow, a counseling psychologist.

Mr. Enow highlighted the significance of educational fairs in complementing traditional classroom education and facilitating students’ career decisions.

“The significance of an education fair is complementing education. There is a partnership between secondary education and higher education,” he remarked.

Students from various secondary schools in the South West Region seized the opportunity to explore potential career paths and prepare for their transition to higher education.

The fair provided a platform for students to engage with representatives from private higher institutions, gain insights into different academic programs, and make informed decisions about their future academic pursuits.

©Mimi Mefo Info