Students interns meet potential employers

(CNS Business): Fifteen private sector businesses, one non-profit organisation and 24 government entities took part in the Islands Further Education Centre (CIFEC) Fair, where students had the opportunity to meet with prospective employers for the Year 12 internship programme. Unpaid internships, whether in the public or private sectors, are an integral part of the CIFEC curriculum in order to prepare students for work that matches the areas of their interest as much as possible.

Lead organiser of the CIFEC fair, Heather-Ann Cahill from the CIFEC Careers Advisory Service, said she was delighted at the response from prospective employers and emphasised the purpose behind the fair.

“This is a chance for prospective employers to interact with and identify students whom they wish to follow up with for internships during this school year. We expect students to come with the right attitude to impress these employers to ensure they are selected as interns for the whole year,” she said.

A particular joy to her is the participation of former CIFEC interns who are now gainfully employed in the same organisations where they interned: Adrianna Duran (Maritime Authority); Tayvis Walters (Appleby), Kari Rankin (KPMG) and Kenyah Pinnock (HSM).

There are 240 students in the CIFEC programme aged 16 and up. This year’s fair was held on Thursday, 4 and Friday 5 September at CIFEC (the old John Gray High School on Walkers Road).

“This event is one of the forums the Portfolio of the Civil Service uses to raise awareness of careers within the public service and to actively compete for promising talent,” said Portfolio of the Civil Service (PoCS) Chief OfficerGloria McField-Nixon.

She added, “We have had a very successful summer internship programme for 90 Caymanian students this year. We expect the CIFEC fair will result in additional job placements given the hearty response of government entities participating this year.”

“I am delighted at the response from prospective employers and impressed with the enthusiasm and eagerness of the CIFEC students to take advantage of this golden opportunity,” said Education Minister Tara Rivers. “This is a great example of a public-private partnership in education. I look forward to assisting to drive other such partnerships in an effort to enhance the educational experience of our students.”

Ministry Counsellor Winston Connolly, “This is a prime example of how students can gain an appreciation of what opportunities exist within the workforce and what is required of them to meet corporate expectations. This should better prepare them for the real workplace when they get there.”

 

Tags: CIFEC, internship

Category: Education & Training, Employment, Local Business