VTDI Alumni Comes Full Circle
By: July 31, 2024 ,The Full Story
Shieka Walsh has always been a creative with a passion for entertainment and planning events.
“I planned my first birthday party at 12 years old. My mother gave the go-ahead but I did the planning,” she tells JIS News.
Years later, when she decided to pursue formal training, she contacted the Vocational Training Development Institute (VTDI) to enquire about programme offerings.
“I don`t remember how I found out about VTDI but I know they offered a diploma [in Entertainment and Events Management] at that time, and the person that I spoke with ended up becoming my Programme Coordinator and now my mentor.
“She told me about the programme but she also informed me that they would have been moving from a diploma to an associate degree. I waited a year until the programme changed to an associate degree then I applied,” Ms. Walsh recalls.
Now, returning to her alma mater as the Communications and Marketing Manager and part-time lecturer, Ms. Walsh is using her training and innate skills to mould the future generation of professionals.
“My goal is to seamlessly integrate my passion for education with my work in entertainment and events, creating meaningful experiences for both participants and industry professionals alike, while also contributing to the growth and development of the field as a whole,” she tells JIS News.
Ms. Walsh is lecturer for the Creative and Professional Image Development course under the Events Planning and Management Programme at VTDI.
The objective of the course is to assist students with career advancement, and includes exploring branding, workplace ethics and personal development, among other skills.
Reflecting on her initial spark, Ms. Walsh shares that she has had a love for the performing arts since primary school.
“I was a part of every single group that had to do with performing arts. If it’s speech, drama, music, I’m apart of those things. Overall, I loved the creative industry. I’ve always said I wanted to become something in that field,” she tells JIS News.
She learned about events planning when she became a teenager, and it became the focus of her career aspirations.
While at VTDI, she honed her skills in organisation, leadership and communication among other areas, which has been helpful.
“That skill (organising) for me was brought out more when I came here (VTDI) because we had to plan events… we had to interact with different stakeholders, different students from different backgrounds… you have to have your head on your body,” she says.
“In terms of leadership skills, I became class representative. Why? I don’t know but everybody wants me to be class rep,” she says.
Voice and speech training and presentation skills were also a part of her studies at VTDI. “I also wanted to be certified, so that was another push for VTDI. I wanted to ultimately do my own thing, so I wanted to be well rounded,” she tells JIS News.
Ms. Walsh completed her associate degree at VTDI in 2018.
Having acquired the skills and certification, she became an entrepreneur, offering events planning, management and consultancy services. She also furthered her education at the University of the West Indies, Mona, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Marketing Communication in 2023.
In December of the same year, Ms. Walsh returned to VTDI as the Communications and Marketing Manager, bringing her career full circle.
She encourages those interested in events planning to explore the options available at VTDI to sharpen their skills.
“There are so many different aspects of the industry. You can come to VTDI, you can do Event Planning and Management because it has a wide range of courses and skillsets. You can be employed in any sector because you have the information, you have the practical skills,” she says.
VTDI is a tertiary institution in Jamaica, recognised by the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ). It is an entity of the Ministry of Education and Youth.