Exciting, high-paying careers in STEM – Senator Morris Dixon

MINISTER OF Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Dr Dana Morris Dixon, is encouraging students to embrace training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, to prepare for exciting and lucrative careers.

Addressing the sixth annual Owen Robert Science Lecture Series and STEM Awards at Victor Dixon High School in Mandeville, Manchester, on May 1, she cited optoelectronics and mechatronics as two dynamic and high-paying STEM fields for which training is offered locally.

“Optoelectronics is how you mix lighting with electronics. So, when you see huge, lit billboards in cities like New York, that is an example of optoelectronics. When you see a drone show, that’s optoelectronics too. We teach it at the HEART/NSTA Trust. Jamaica won an international medal in optoelectronics because we are so good at it,” she told the students.

She explained that mechatronics brings together multiple disciplines, namely, mechanical, electrical, computer, and robotics engineering.

“So, in the future, when you go to a manufacturing plant you will not just see people but also robots, drones and lots of new technologies at work. Mechatronics is about how we use all those new technologies in manufacturing. This is also taught here in Jamaica at HEART and the Caribbean Maritime University,” she pointed out.

Dr Morris Dixon lauded the school for putting on the annual STEM Day, which saw students performing various scientific experiments.

The minister visited four high schools in Manchester to start activities for Child Month in May.

The tour, which began at Belair High, also stopped at Mount St Joseph and May Day, before culminating at Victor Dixon High School.