Ninety Caymanian interns, who expanded their work experience in the civil service this summer, met and interacted with prospective “employers” across government as well as senior civil servants.

Interns also networked among themselves at the event coordinated by the Portfolio of the Civil Service at Government Administration Building on Tuesday afternoon (19 August 2014).

This year’s programme runs from 20 May to 1 September and provided summer jobs to Caymanian students, who worked anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months.

Young people were provided temporary services in jobs ranging from receptionist to office support assistant and computer technician. Others offered support services in public administration, engineering, medical and environmental health, as well as legal and child day care services, or shadowed senior officers at work.

Ranging in age from 16-25 years, the interns are studying a wide variety of subjects at overseas universities, local schools and colleges. One was also enrolled in the Passport2Success programme (which helps to better prepare unemployed persons for the job market and workplace). The group included scholarship and non-scholarship students.

Over a dozen departments offered internships including Immigration, Computer Services, Education, Judicial Administration, Government Information Services, Legal and Public Works, as well as the Deputy Governor’s Office, Cabinet Office, Portfolio of the Civil Service, Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs and the Ministry of Health, Sports, Youth and Culture.

“The work experience will have provided these young people with a meaningful insight into government services and the requirements of a dynamic public administration,” the Deputy Governor, Hon. Franz Manderson, commented.

Speaking at the event, he told the interns: “What you have learned in the few weeks you have spent in government should provide invaluable knowledge and skills that will come in handy whether employed in the public or private sectors in the future.”

For the employers, the work experience provided human resources personnel with an idea of students’ potential employability should jobs become available to meet expanding demands for services, explained Portfolio of the Civil Service Chief Officer, Mrs. Gloria McField-Nixon.

Care was taken to ensure that the interns derived the most benefit possible from the programme, including slotting students into jobs that matched their areas of study.

The aim was to build up their competencies and so boost their confidence, knowledge and skill levels, which would better translate into future job opportunities with government, the private sector or self-employment, Mrs. McField-Nixon said.

Photo captions: Photos by Bina Mani

DG speaks: Deputy Governor Franz Manderson shares his personal experiences with the interns.

Interns 1: Some interns get to know one another at the networking event.

CO speaks: Chief Officer Gloria McField-Nixon thanks the interns for their services.