More than 20 join Green Leaders summer internship programme

More than 20 students from the University of the West Indies, the Barbados Community College and other schools have joined Sagicor’s 2019 Green Leadership Internship Programme.

The interns, who range in age from 17 to 27, are from diverse educational backgrounds, and as such have been placed within the company’s various departments including investments, customer service, pensions, group insurance, human resources, information technology, mortgages, mortgage recoveries, new business and marketing departments where they participate in practical on-the-job training and bespoke training in life skills, including career and financial management, as well as participate in community outreach.

The initiative falls within the company’s social contributions in education and youth development, and participants are encouraged to pay it forward by themselves engaging in a community outreach project.

Human Resources Manager Siobhan Robinson-Morris explained the importance and impact of the Green Leaders Programme: “The SGL programme is geared at providing real world experience to university students. The opportunity to intern is an invaluable one, as there is no greater teacher than experience and exposure. Over the course of their tenure, our interns work hard, play hard and learn the value of giving back to the communities that support them.”

Green Leader Shaquille Ellis, who interns in the Records department, said “The last two weeks were exciting and interesting. Every day, I learnt something new and interacted with new people. The workers here are very friendly and very nice to the interns, making me feel very welcomed and appreciated.”

Ebenzel Gooding, who is a Green Leader in the Customer Service Department, said since working in the customer service department, he’s gained knowledge and understanding on how customers behave and react and how best to handle a situation.

“Additionally, the training and teaching I have received from my peers have distinctly helped me not only to do what the job entails but also to grow as an individual as they continue to improve the lives of all individuals around them,” Gooding added.

Amanda Mohring, in the Customer Experience department explained her experience: “At the Orientation Session, I was equipped with vital information that helps me to effectively fulfill my everyday tasks. The Human Resource Managers who conducted the orientation gave meaningful advice about the expectations that were required of me as a Green Leader, to ensure that I performed to the best of my ability.”

She said having to balance work with school, coupled with the need to be consistently punctual and to multi-task, helped her to accomplish greater skills, “most importantly, being able to interact with customers daily and giving them the best service possible is rewarding.”

Additionally, Myka Payne, who worked in the Pensions department, noted that “The last two weeks have been filled with unique learning experiences. I have been reminded that everything may not always go according to plan, but you must make the most of every opportunity.”

The Green Leaders Internship Programme runs for 12 weeks. (PR)