First Citizens remains an Employer of Choice for the 2024 UWI Internship Programme
Press Release
First Citizens Group is proud to announce the continuation of its longstanding partnership with the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, through the 2024 UWI Internship Programme. This annual initiative, now in its eighth year, has become a cornerstone of the Group’s Youth Development and Education Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Pillar.
Since 2017, the First Citizens Group has hosted this programme, offering invaluable hands-on training to students for ten weeks in Computing and Information Technology and Management Studies. The internship not only supplements academic curricula in Computer Science, Business, and Engineering but also equips students with practical skills and experiences that prepare them for the professional world.
Since the arrival of the interns on June 3, 2024, Cohort 8 have been exposed to a wide range of experiences and learning opportunities designed to enhance their professional development and provide valuable insights into our industry. Some of these exposures include:
- An On-Boarding Session – The interns participated in this session where they were officially welcomed to First Citizens and provided a comprehensive understanding of First Citizens’ Strategic Direction and Human Resources Policies that outline the Group’s workplace best practices.
- Intern Mentorship – Each intern was paired with a First Citizens supervisor to offer guidance, support and feedback. This one-on-one mentorship allows the interns to navigate their roles and develop essential skills.
- Professional Development Workshop – The interns attended a workshop on the topic of “Managing and Making Time” which was designed to enhance their work approach and prepare them to manage future professional challenges.
- Intern Week – During the week of July 22-25, 2024, Cohort 8 was exposed to a cadre of activities such as project presentations to strengthen their presentation skills and a Meet the Executive opportunity where they were able to interact with the Group’s leadership team to understand the vision of the organisation and ask questions.
Ms. Karen Darbasie – Group Chief Executive Officer at the on-boarding session, spoke highly of the First Citizens UWI collaboration, “Our Internship speaks very much to demonstrating our commitment to the development of our country and it aligns very much to the Groups’ philosophy – our Corporate Social Responsibility programme under the Youth and Education pillar.” She added, “The enrolment of this year’s participants continues to demonstrate First Citizens as an Employer of Choice invested in shaping the future of the corporate industry.”
To get a sense of the Internship’s impact, we asked the interns about their mentorship and networking experiences thus far. Here is what a couple of them shared:
The UWI Internship Programme remains a flagship project for the First Citizens Group, reflecting its dedication to nurturing the next generation of leaders in technology and business. Through this programme, the Group not only supports the academic and professional aspirations of students but also underscores its broader commitment to social responsibility and community engagement.
