The Department of Workforce Development celebrated the success of the 2023 Summer Employment and Internship Programmes with a reception for the 183 participating students. This year was an improvement, with the number of participating students increasing by 53.

The Department of Workforce Development's Youth Employment Programmes allow students to apply academic knowledge and gain relevant work experience. The Summer Employment Program comprises ten weeks of work experience, with a $600 weekly wage, and the Summer Internship Program includes a $1,600 stipend at the end of a four-week term. Employment opportunities are matched with students’ areas of study, interests, and career goals. 

The programs are designed to:

• Provide meaningful work experience opportunities to enhance learning and personal and career development.
• Offer exposure to careers and employment opportunities within Government.
• Create opportunities to learn leadership and decision-making skills and encourage citizenship and service.
• Introduce participants to career and employment competency standards.
• Foster the development of career goals by connecting work experience to academic learning. 

This year's Summer Employment Programme began in May with 103 students placed in internships within Government, private and non-profit sectors. Students participating in the programme from various areas of study, including Health, Accounting, Psychology, Environmental Sciences, and Law, are encouraged to use the opportunity to develop further their leadership and decision-making skills and career and work competency standards.

Summer Employment participant Kayode George shared her experience, "I've enjoyed working within my disciplines and, in the process, gaining meaningful information about their disciplines. I can apply the experiences from this opportunity while in school and would encourage others to apply to the programme."

The Summer Internship Programme began in July and exposed 80 high school students to the workplace environment and potential career pathways over four weeks. Exposing our young people to real-life work responsibilities enables them to understand what is expected of them in the workplace and prepares them to transition from the school environment.  

NaDae Ingham, a Summer Internship Programme participant, expressed her appreciation of the programme, saying, "I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in the programme and would highly recommend it to others looking for an internship!"  

Reflecting on the programme, Minister of Economy and Labour Jason Hayward said, "The Economic Development Strategy's Strategic Priority Five focuses on investing in people, which includes the continued execution of the Youth Employment Strategy. To that end, through the Department of Workforce Development, the Ministry is committed to fostering a strong work ethic and promoting training and development opportunities for Bermudian Students. Allowing our youth to gain work experience that matches their education and career interests is vital to their future success, as upon graduation, they will have already obtained work experience that is invaluable to individuals and employers. These and other initiatives align with the Department of Workforce Development's mission to develop a resilient workforce and support a sustainable and stable community."

Please visit the Department of Workforce Development for more information on the Summer Employment and Summer Internship Programmes.

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