Harold Lovell and UPP All Saints West Branch Hosts Successful Youth Career Fair Connecting Young People with Local Professionals

Young people in All Saints West were given a window into career opportunities in medicine, skilled trades, accounting, agriculture, agro-processing and the culinary arts at a Youth Career Fair organised by the United Progressive Party's All Saints West branch.

The event, held this week in the constituency, brought together students, jobseekers and community members with local professionals and entrepreneurs who shared practical insights and personal stories aimed at broadening participants' sense of what is possible without leaving Antigua and Barbuda.

Culinary Arts, Agriculture and Agro-Processing

Among the featured presenters was Chef Murphy, a US-based Antiguan culinary professional who currently serves on the culinary team of a Fortune 100 company. Chef Murphy traced his own career path from early work at renowned Antiguan hotels including St. James's Club and Blue Waters to his eventual migration to the United States, where he has made a point of infusing Caribbean cuisine into his professional work.

At the fair, he prepared a tasting experience built around Pep Up de Pot's Mango Widdy Widdy Blend — a locally developed product that combines sun-ripened mango pulp and peel with the distinctive character of widdy widdy bush. The product, rooted in ingredients once gathered during times of hardship, represents a transformation of traditional knowledge into a marketable culinary offering. Chef Murphy used the demonstration to show students how heritage ingredients can inspire modern Caribbean cuisine and open doors to entrepreneurship.

Also presenting on agriculture and agro-processing was Grandma Mirie, a former teacher turned agroprocessor and author of the book Mirie's Magic Recipe: Loving, Leading, Legacy. She shared her journey of transforming ingredients grown in her own backyard garden into more than 90 products, encouraging young people to see agriculture and agro-processing as meaningful career pathways and viable business opportunities. Visiting students from the University of Toronto's Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies, currently participating in a programme at the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus (UWIFIC), were also in attendance and engaged with Grandma Mirie's presentation.

Skilled Trades and Heavy Equipment

Local entrepreneur Miles Codrington, a resident of the All Saints West community, delivered a hands-on demonstration of heavy-duty equipment and shared his entrepreneurial journey. Codrington highlighted what he described as a growing shortage of heavy-duty equipment operators and mechanics in Antigua and Barbuda, telling students that skilled trades offer strong career prospects and a practical route to business ownership. His message was direct: technical skills combined with determination and entrepreneurship can create lasting opportunities and contribute to community development.

Accounting and Medicine

Ms. Suzette Roberts introduced participants to careers in accounting, outlining the educational pathways available and the range of opportunities the profession offers across the public and private sectors. She encouraged students to view accounting not only as a career in itself but as a skill set that can support entrepreneurship and business management.

Dr. Eumel Samuel, a radiology specialist and All Saints West resident, broadened participants' understanding of the medical field by highlighting the wide range of specialties available beyond general practice. His presentation encouraged young people with an interest in healthcare to explore specialised paths that match their skills and interests.

Community Response

UPP caretaker for All Saints West Harold Lovell, in a statement following the event, thanked the presenters, partner organisations, parents, volunteers and community members who contributed to its success. He described the fair as having created a space designed to spark curiosity, build confidence and open doors to future possibilities for the constituency's young people.

"Your presence reminded our youth that they are seen, supported, and capable of achieving greatness," Lovell wrote.