FREEPORT, Grand Bahama, August 30, 2023 – The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA) and Group of Companies continue to meet its corporate social responsibility mandate through investment in the Grand Bahamian youth with its long-standing Summer Student Employment Program.
This summer, GBPA hosted nearly 70 students over the course of the program, which ran from May to August. Since its inception, the program has been well received and has in some instances led to full time employment opportunities fora number of past participants.
“Each year, we seek to enhance elements of the program to meet the growing needs of our economy and the upcoming generation,” said GBPA President Ian Rolle. “We thought it prudent to have this year’s students enroll in the Internet Core Competency Certification (IC3) program, which offers Digital Literacy training to ensure our students are prepared to excel in a technology-driven world.”
Dr. Telina Smith, GBPA Director of Human Resources, explained: “We thought the certification presented a unique opportunity to enrich the students’ lives and allow them to gain a tangible asset, in addition to gaining work experience. We are proud to report a 98% successful passing rate in the IC3 Level 1 certification.”
Janaiya Pinder, a returning participant in the GBPA Summer Student Employment Program. Said that initially she was “surprised to find out about the inclusion of the IC3 certification to the program, because we didn’t do it last year.”
“However, after having gone through the training, I am happy to have completed it and now have this certification, which makes me more well-rounded and gives me a competitive advantage over others in my age bracket,” Pinder added. “Simultaneously, I was able to gain experience working under professionals in the engineering field through the Building and Development Department. This gave me reassurance that engineering was the right field for me and made me excited about the future potential to return home after university. I’m thankful that The Grand Bahama Port Authority allowed me to have this opportunity, and I feel it’s what makes their summer student program stand out from others.”
GBPA encourages anyone who is interested in participating in next year’s program to stay tuned for updates on its official social media pages and website www.gbpa.com.
