Someone built the app you used this morning. Someone fixed the school’s Wi-Fi. Someone designed the website where you checked the cricket score. Could one of those people be you in ten years’ time?
Image source: File:Programmer at work (Unsplash).jpg (Wikimedia Commons)
.jpg){kind=link}
In this post:
- What a career in ICT is
- Ten ICT jobs and what each person actually does
- Skills, subjects and qualifications that help
- A career finder, a matching activity, a career research task and a quiz
What is an ICT career?
An ICT career is a job where you mainly use, build, fix or protect computers, networks, software or information. Almost every business, school, hospital, bank and government office in Trinidad and Tobago needs ICT workers, so these skills can take you into almost any field you enjoy, from sport to music to medicine.
Ten ICT jobs
| Job | What they do | A day might include… |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | Plans, designs and builds large software systems, often in a team. | Meeting the client, planning how parts of an app fit together, testing |
| Programmer (developer) | Writes, tests and fixes the code that makes programs and apps work. | Writing code, finding and fixing bugs |
| Computer technician | Sets up, repairs and maintains computers, printers and other hardware. | Replacing a broken screen, installing RAM, removing a virus |
| Web designer / web developer | Designs how websites look and builds them so they work on phones and computers. | Choosing colours and layouts, building pages, fixing broken links |
| Network administrator | Sets up and looks after an organisation’s network and internet connection. | Adding new users, fixing slow Wi-Fi, checking cables and routers |
| Cybersecurity analyst | Protects systems and data from hackers and malware. | Watching for attacks, testing for weak spots, training staff |
| Database administrator | Organises and protects large collections of data, such as student or patient records. | Making backups, controlling who can see what |
| Data analyst | Turns numbers into useful information with charts and reports. | Cleaning data in a spreadsheet, presenting findings |
| IT support (help desk) | Helps people who are having problems with their computers or software. | Answering calls, resetting passwords, explaining patiently |
| Game developer | Designs and programs video games. | Planning levels, coding characters, testing for fun and fairness |
Image source: File:Computer repair in progress.jpg (Wikimedia Commons)
What helps you get there?
- School subjects: Mathematics and English matter for nearly every ICT job. In Forms 4–5, you can take CSEC Information Technology, then CAPE Computer Science or Information Technology in Forms 6.
- After school: colleges and universities in Trinidad and Tobago, such as UWI, UTT and COSTAATT, offer certificates, diplomas and degrees in computing and IT.
- Certificates: many technicians and network workers also take industry exams, such as CompTIA A+ (computer repair) or Cisco networking certificates.
- Skills you can build now: problem-solving, teamwork, clear communication, patience, creativity and curiosity. Making Scratch games, helping family with their phones and designing posters all count!
Watch: a software engineer talks about the job
In this short video from a series about careers with computer science, a software engineer at MBARI, an ocean research institute, talks about their work. As you watch, notice how computing connects to another interest: the ocean.
Video: Careers with Computer Science: Software Engineer at MBARI – CodeAI – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBTWICxTG08
Activity: career finder
Try it: which ICT careers suit you?
Tick everything you enjoy, then click the button to see ICT careers that match.
Activity: who does what?
Try it: match the job
Choose the ICT job that matches each task.
| Replaces the cracked screen on a laptop | |
| Writes the code for a new school app | |
| Makes a bakery’s website look good on phones | |
| Fixes the Wi-Fi when nobody in the office can connect | |
| Spots a hacker trying to break into a bank’s system | |
| Answers a call from someone who forgot their password | |
| Designs the levels and characters in a video game |
Research task: my ICT career poster
Choose one ICT career (the career finder can help). Research it using at least two trustworthy websites, or by interviewing someone who does the job. Then make a poster or a one-page report in a word processor that answers these questions in your own words:
| Question | My answer |
|---|---|
| What is the job called? | |
| What does this person do in a normal day? | |
| Where could they work in Trinidad and Tobago or the Caribbean? | |
| Which subjects and qualifications help? | |
| Which skills or personal qualities do they need? | |
| Why would (or wouldn’t) I enjoy this job? | |
| My sources (website names or the person I interviewed) |
Self-check quiz
Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.
1. Who would you call to repair a laptop that will not switch on?
2. A programmer’s main job is to…
3. Which job protects systems from hackers?
4. Which CSEC subject leads most directly towards an ICT career?
5. Which skill is useful in almost every ICT job?
6. A web designer mainly…
Related posts on islandclass.org
- Careers in ICT – older notes
For later, in Forms 4–5 (CSEC IT): these go deeper and are for when you reach CSEC Information Technology.
Next: Threats to Your Computer and Data: Malware, Spam and Firewalls
Syllabus link: Forms 1–3 ICT curriculum, Module 2, Objective 2.12 – identify possible careers in ICT.
Attributions to media used in this post:
- Programmer at work (Unsplash).jpg – Crew – CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Computer repair in progress.jpg – Vintechcomputerservices – CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Video: Careers with Computer Science: Software Engineer at MBARI – CodeAI (YouTube)
Updates
2026/10/21
– Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.
© 2026 Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved.