JAMAICAN students are being encouraged to learn a second language and take advantage of career opportunities in the energy sector across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The resounding message came from several regional leaders from companies affiliated with Jamaica Private Power Company’s (JPPC) parent company, IC Power in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Jamaica who were in attendance at a post-International Women’s Day Careers in Energy Breakfast on Thursday, March 10 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.

JPPC General Manager Ingrid Christian-Baker, the first female to hold that position, shared her journey to the post and encouraged the students to be bold in their career choices, never limiting themselves by their own fears.

Other regional leaders such as Nicaragua native Nerio Cabrera, production manager with JPPC encouraged students to learn a second language. He credits his ability to speak both English and Spanish as one of the key factors in helping him to secure a job fresh out of university which took him one step closer to his journey in the energy sector.

“I encourage you in your studies to try to learn a language as it will only be to your advantage in the future,” he said.

Emma Aragon, general controller from IC Power Nicaragua, supported Nerio by pointing to her being able to secure a regional post because of her ability to speak multiple languages. She noted that while there were many accountants in Nicaragua, there were not many accountants who were bilingual, hence her distinctive edge.

Monica Cardenas, administration manager from Nejapa El Salvador (another IC Power-owned company) also had inspiring words for the students, encouraging them to go beyond the call of duty, learn as much as possible while on the job and take advantage of opportunities to learn from other departments.

“Nothing beats hard work and that also means doing things that you are not expected to do. Learn as much as you can every day,” she told the students.

For their part, the students expressed gratitude to JPPC for heightening their awareness about career opportunities in the energy sector across the region. They also thanked the regional leaders for empowering them as women to follow their passions.

“Listening today really gave me a boost. It boosted me to push myself out of my comfort zone and to not let being a female stop me from thriving in what are traditionally male-dominated fields,” said Fiona Dacosta, deputy head girl of Camperdown High School.

“Thanks to the ladies today, I have learnt that to move forward we need a certain level of flexibility and positivity. If there is something you want you should go for it and these burgeoning opportunities women have in this sector are something that I can be a part of,” added Callay Jarrett, a grade 11 student from Westwood High School.

The Careers in Energy Breakfast also zoomed in on opportunities across the energy sector, the kind of personal and professional skills required for thriving in the sector, and some of the trends in energy including app developments, environmental studies and safety.