Rubis is continuing to prepare students for the world of work and beyond, as a part of their annual Summer Internship programme. For eight weeks during the summer break, the twelve excited university students, who were specially selected by Rubis, were part of the company’s robust internship programme. The multi-faceted agenda catered to students from various areas of study. Each intern was provided with the opportunity to apply their skill-set and gain experience within Rubis’ varied departments.
The interns spent their first week garnering a better understanding of the role Rubis plays as the region’s premier energy/fuel provider. Other first week orientation activities included fire safety, CPR and first aid training sessions. The cross-functional training segment involved visits to service stations, a tour of the BNTCL plant and a memorable tour of a Rubis oil tanker. This latter activity allowed the group the chance to explore the technical processes involved in the industry while enjoying a day on the water.
Dolores Batson, Manager Human Resources, Rubis Eastern Caribbean, explained, “The students embraced their respective tasks with great energy and Team Rubis was happy to have them.” She added, “Our internship programme began in 2012 and approximately 60 students have benefitted from the on the job experience.”
Before they ended their internship, the students shared their varied experiences at Rubis.
Ricarla Best (Sales and Marketing)
“Working in Sales and Marketing, I learned to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment. Every day I encountered something new and interesting and that was my favourite part about working within the department.”
Jerren Ward (Operations)
“I have enjoyed fulfilling customer’s needs and gaining a greater appreciation for the operations side of the company.”
Gabriella Bettencourt (Finance)
“I gained a real-world experience of what it takes to drive business operations forward successfully and working in the accounts department taught me patience, sharpened my focus and enhanced my interactive skills.”
Shadera Proverbs (Finance)
“I am very grateful that I was allowed the opportunity to develop and explore the area of finance which allowed me to gather much needed knowledge and experience that would assist me in my future endeavours.”
Christopher McCarthy (Operations)
“I gained experience applying what I learnt at school as well as receiving the opportunity to build good working relationships with the members of Team Rubis. I also gained knowledge and new skills while being able to enjoy the environment.”
Jonte Smith (Marketing)
“The process greatly enhanced my knowledge of the creative and analytical aspects of marketing and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a life changing programme.”
Najee Yearwood (Operations)
“During my time at Rubis, I was able to apply what I learnt in the classroom to real world situations and worked closely with the Engineering Manager and Draughtsman. These two individuals were very informative and I am very grateful for this knowledge.”
Brandon Calendar (Operations)
“While I had the opportunity to work with the LPG Technicians and Draughtsman, I was also able to experience the amazing warmth of the entire team at the Rubigas Depot. The personnel were friendly and approachable, the atmosphere was lively, and I can safely say that this made coming to work daily much more enjoyable while still getting to learn so many things.”
Jeremy Bryan (Operations)
“Working at the Rubis Terminal at Spring Garden was an outstanding experience and one that I value greatly. I have grasped a better understanding of how the company functions, and I was able to complete the tasks assigned to me.”
Shakayla Scantlebury (Finance)
“While some days were more challenging than others, it was during those times that I noticed many positives attributes about myself. I learned how well I could handle situations under pressure. I gained a great deal of knowledge working in the areas of fraud detection, created vendor accounts, and worked on key projects such as the renovation of one of the service stations.”
Nico Ross (IT)
“During my time at Rubis, I learnt more about my chosen field of study, specifically which languages are important as an IT programmer. The internship also allowed me to develop additional skill-sets which would be useful assets throughout my career. Working in the Finance department I was kept on my toes, as each day I was tasked with a different project which brought me into contact with different members of the Rubis team.”
