Summer Internship Programme Investing In Island’s Youth

The Ministry of Home Affairs and Information has officially launched its 2026 Summer Internship Programme, reaffirming Government’s commitment to “investing in our most treasured resource, which is our young people”.

Minister of Home Affairs and Information, Gregory Nicholls, described this year’s Internship Programme, which is being held in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Criminal Justice, as preparing the next generation of young people to become public officers, professionals and national leaders, through meaningful hands-on workplace experience.

Speaking at a welcome ceremony for the interns and their parents this morning at the General Post Office, Mr. Nicholls said the eight-week internship programme will commence on Monday, July 13, with over 90 young people, aged 16 to 25, and will help to develop practical workplace skills, professional discipline and leadership qualities under three core themes – resilience, robustness, and respect.

“Over the coming weeks, you’ll be placed across a diverse range of departments and agencies, … and you will have the opportunity to learn how each of these agencies maintain public safety, provide information, support vulnerable citizens, respond to emergencies, facilitate communication, and strengthen the institutions upon which the country depends,” the Minister told the interns.

He also urged them to grasp the opportunity to learn and ask questions.

“As interns, you will have a front-row seat to see how these services operate and how the public officers work every day to serve the people of Barbados. And I encourage you to embrace this opportunity fully. Do not see yourselves as summer workers; see yourselves as learners, as explorers, and as future leaders. Be curious, ask questions, respectfully, of course. Observe, seek to understand not only what is done but why it is done. Every task, no matter how small it may be, offers a valuable lesson…. Whatever your assignment may be, I want you to approach it with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn,” he advised.

The Home Affairs Minister also challenged them to use the time to help figure out what they want to do with their future.

“I, therefore, challenge you to leave this programme better than you entered it; gain new skills, build your confidence, develop new friendships, learn about teamwork, discover your strengths, and identify the areas of future growth. Most importantly, understand that the very experience you gain here is helping to prepare you for the future. Let this summer be one of discovery, achievement, and inspiration,” Mr. Nicholls said.

Attorney General Wilfred Abrahams also encouraged the interns to ask questions and to make the most of their internship.

“There’s no stupid question. It is better to ask a question that you think is stupid and get the answer, so you know the direction that you need to go, than to not ask that question … and then you find yourself in a situation where you have to act on the knowledge that you pretended that you had, and that can be disastrous,” he stressed.

The Attorney General, who was the former Minister of Home Affairs and Information, pointed out that the rationale for the programme was to help young people understand the gap between finishing school and the world of work, such as knowing how to dress, conduct themselves in a workplace, and do basic office tasks like filing. He said it was also recognised that there was a need to improve the personal development of the individual.

“The Government has a general internship programme, … but we wanted to put our own spin on it. It can’t be just turn up for work and do tasks. It has to be, turn up for work and be engaged. Turn up for work and be interested. Our programme is supposed to create opportunities for you to … develop yourself…. So, this is not just something to spend the time on in the summer. We want to teach you about life, [and] we want to teach you about work,” Mr. Abrahams said. 

Former Grantley Adams Memorial School student, 17-year-old Davidson Griffith, shared that he applied for the internship to gain real-world work experience in the public service and develop his interpersonal skills, particularly in public speaking. He added that his primary goal upon completion of the programme is to “contribute to the development of Barbados and the young people of Barbados”. (PR/GIS)