The chief executive of a leading recruitment firm is hoping to see more paid internships for young Caribbean graduates, whether government-funded, private or the result of public-private partnerships.
Caribbean Employment Services Inc. is a market-leading digital talent acquisition service that aims to connect the top talent from the Caribbean with hiring managers, HR professionals and decision-makers in companies both within the Caribbean as well as abroad.
Its CEO, Joseph Boll, made the comments on the heels of Bermuda’s government announcing that it is seeking to hire two new college graduates for a paid internship position at its offices in London.
“There is a lot of talk about how to stop brain drain and give youth the opportunity to be gainfully employed right in their own home country,” Boll said. “You often see programmes to encourage entrepreneurship or provide skills training, but paid internships is one option that many Caribbean youth can benefit from. It provides a direct pathway to not just a temporary job but a long-term career, while also providing steady income that a young person can use to start saving, investing or building the foundation of a prosperous future.”
Organizations like the World Bank have pointed out that “tertiary-educated [often] leave Caribbean countries in large numbers,” exacerbating skills gaps and putting a strain on human capital. This is often because young, educated residents struggle to find job opportunities that are on par with their qualifications.
Through a paid internship, young graduates can gain hands-on job experience that improves their employability, as they would not have to struggle with finding a job without prior experience; and also receive the kind of specialized training that would make them ideal employees in the respective field as well as further their career in that area.
“This kind of opportunity gives them a direct leg-up that can give them a direct pathway to a future career immediately,” the CEO noted. “While skills training is of course valuable, it can sometimes leave young, talented natives to figure out for themselves how they will get opportunities to apply those skills. As regional leaders look for ways to improve the talent pool, labour market and skill retention of their home economies, Caribbean Employment Services Inc. hopes to see more paid internship opportunities emerge as one of the many feasible solutions.”
