A power outage delayed but certainly did not deter four eager, young, male students from getting a close-up look at the diverse careers across the CIBC FirstCaribbean bank.
The four – Mikhail Carvalho of Combermere, Malik Husbands of The Ellerslie School, Shem Murray of Lester Vaughn and Jaron Riley of St. Leonard’s Secondary – were selected to be part of a special “job shadow” programme to mark International Men’s Day on November 19, 2019.
However, an island-wide power outage led to the cancellation of school and the disruption of many businesses, including the banks’, and the event had to be shelved. The young men all thought they had missed an ideal opportunity. However, little did they know that Donna Wellington, Managing Director for Barbados, was determined to host them and quickly agreed to a rescheduled date of November 28.
The young men were thrilled at the news! The eager quartet arrived at Head Office early for the start of a packed day which included meetings with Ms Wellington, Chief Executive Officer, Colette Delaney, Managing Director Retail and Business Banking, Mark St. Hill and a tour of the Warrens Banking Centre, meetings with the Risk, Marketing and Technology departments and lunch hosted by Ms Wellington and attended by a number of male executives and managers.
“Don’t forget where you came from. Regardless of your success, remember who you are,” was the advice the CEO shared with the young men during her engagement with them. She told them as they contemplated entering the world of work they should ensure they found careers that they enjoyed. “It is key that you enjoy what you do and are motivated by it. You will spend a lot of your life working so make sure you enjoy it,” she added.
Mark St. Hill reminded them that “learning never stops, so never think you know it all. Be humble. Humility is extremely important.”
The students were fully engaged in each session asking questions and at times taking notes. By the end of the day, they all indicated an interest in a career in banking, especially the “baby” of the four, Shem 15, who is taking business studies in hopes of becoming an accountant.
Jaron, a lower 6th form student at St. Leonard’s, also wants to pursue an accounting career while Malik, a 6th former at The Ellerslie School, wants a career in finance and banking. Mikhail, also in 6th form at Combermere, is hoping for a career in real estate.
The other major activity to celebrate and commemorate International Men’s Day was an offer of free PSA testing in selected banking halls. This was done to encourage the men on staff and the bank’s male customers to pay more attention to their health.
Organised in conjunction with the Cancer Support Services, the testing teams were located at three of the bank’s locations on the day – the Broad Street, Sheraton and Warrens branches. At the end of the day, they reported testing 30 staff members and 55 members of the public who came into the bank, all of whom were tested for free.
Cancer survivor Richard Alleyne also conducted a lunchtime lecture for staff at the bank’s regional head office on men’s health focusing on prostate health.
November 19 is recognised as International Men’s Day and celebrated in over 80 countries. Originally designed in 1992 to celebrate boys’ and men’s achievements and their contributions to the community and family, as well as their physical and mental health, the day is commemorated in various ways around the world. (PR)
