The Ministry of Transport Works and Water Resources’ (MTWW) recently concluded Summer Internship Programme has been hailed as a success by one of the nine students who took part in the six-week initiative.
Jelani Alleyne, who was attached to the Electronics Unit, described his time at MTWW “as a great learning experience”.
The 18-year-old said: “Given the type of career I aspire to achieve, this internship has opened my eyes to what I can do with electronics, especially with respect to its large-scale implementation and integration within traffic management in Barbados.”
During his internship, he gained practical experience in programming the traffic light controllers, wiring and setting up the traffic light cabinet, and general traffic light maintenance. He also learned how to operate the bucket truck as well as troubleshoot faults and operate traffic management software.
Jelani also had high praise for his workmates. “My colleagues did a great job explaining how the various systems work and providing me with the necessary assistance in choosing my course of study for university,” he said.
Completing the internship was a requirement of Jelani’s Associate Degree programme at the Barbados Community College (BCC), where he was studying Electronics and Computer Engineering. He has now begun a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics and Computer Science at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.
MTWW’s Summer Internship Programme is an annual initiative done in collaboration with secondary and tertiary education institutions. Acting Principal Personnel Officer, Gena Yarde, indicated that this year was unique as several internship opportunities were provided to Parkinson Secondary School students based on an initiative from the Ministry of the Public Service.
“We engaged students from the Parkinson Secondary School as it is embedded in our community and the technical scope of works of MTWW appealed to the students there,” she said.
The five students from the Parkinson Secondary School were: Zari O’Neil and Donte Odle, who worked in the Operations Section; Demanie Squires, who was assigned to the Barbados Licensing Authority; Jnad Knight, who interned with the Government Electrical Engineering Department; and Matthew Goodridge, who was assigned to the Mechanical Workshop.
Another student from the BCC, Tianna Coward, also worked with the Ministry’s Information Systems Section. Two students from the Barbados Vocational Training Board, Amanie Goddard and Neil Clarke, took up positions in the Mechanical Workshop.
Ms. Yarde said the on-the-job opportunities were critical for the youngsters’ personal growth and career development. “For many students, this would have been their first exposure to the work environment. The Summer Internship Programme provided an opportunity for them to apply their theoretical knowledge in a practical on-the-job setting, which is essential for their skills development and for charting their future career paths,” she stated.
The six-week Summer Internship programme ran from July 24 to September 1, 2023.