2022 has seen the return of the RUBIS Summer Internship program, which was paused, like the rest of us due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the past two years. This nine-week internship program was designed to not only provide hands on work experience for young and upcoming professionals, but also provide life skills that can be utilized in their daily lives going forward. Launched in 2012, the program is open to college and university students in Barbados.
While these seven keen interns were ready to hit the ground running, they were given the opportunity to participate in an intense weeklong orientation. During this orientation, they were exposed to the company’s history and how RUBIS’ regional and international operations influence and impact the energy and fuel sector.
The orientation activities included tours to the RUBIS Spring Garden LPG terminal, service station visits and a tour of the Barbados National Terminal Company Limited (BNTCL) plant where the interns rose to the occasion and climbed a fuel tank on the tank farm. The interns also took part in CPR, first aid and fire extinguisher training and were awarded certificates.
Over the next eight weeks, the interns will rotate across various departments including Finance, Shipping & Trading, Operations and Sales & Marketing.
Melissa Alleyne, who is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance at the University of the West Indies, shared what she would like to achieve from this opportunity, “I see this internship as a wonderful opportunity for me to gain much needed work experience and assist me with choosing a career path and for that I am extremely grateful. At the end of my time at RUBIS, I believe I would build my network and gain new connections which will come in handy for me when I make the next step in my career.”
Anette Shorey, Compliance & Internal Controls Specialist and 2022 Internship Program Coordinator further emphasized the importance of the program by stating that “Internships play a crucial role in shaping student’s career paths by exposing them to the real world of work where they can apply core skills and work theory learnt into practice. Some of our interns are still searching for career paths and the RUBIS Internship program has been geared towards exposing the interns to different fields that they may want to pursue in the future. The RUBIS Internship program not only offers networking and gaining professional experience but opportunities for students through a series of mentorship and developmental programs such as team building, interview strategies and resume writing geared towards their success in seeking permanent careers.”
The successful applicants are all currently enrolled at tertiary institutions. They are pursing degrees in various disciplines including Finance, the Arts, Biochemistry and Economics and were paired with mentors to offer greater insights into the world of work and their various career aspirations.
