Over the July/August vacation, many students had the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in a variety of industries across Tobago.
One cohort was assigned to the Tobago Regional Health Authority, where they were not only exposed to careers within the medical field but also learnt about other jobs that support the sector.
For this year’s student internship programme, 50 students were chosen from 500 applicants.
Director of the TRHA Board, Alana Alleyne, said the initiative gave participants valuable exposure to careers across the medical field and the broader healthcare sector.
“You didn’t just observe us from the outside, you saw our systems, you saw where things got stuck, you saw where things worked. You saw the blood, sweat and tears of the people that make up this organisation.”
Secretary of Health and Wellness, Dr Faith Brebnor, stated that the programme was not just about exposure but about helping young people decide on their future career options.
“Maybe it helped you discover that you liked working with people, or you don’t like people at all; that you loved solving problems, or you really just want somebody to give you an instruction for you to follow.”
It was an exposure that the students embraced. For Azariah George, her assignment to the biomedical unit was an eye-opening experience.
“This showed me that behind every successful treatment test or procedure, there are skilled persons working quietly in the background to support service delivery.”
Another component of this year’s internship was a competition among the students to identify ways in which the TRHA can improve service delivery, presented through TikTok videos.
Acting TRHA CEO, Michelle Edwards-Benjamin, said, “This is one of the most valuable parts of this programme, and I want to assure you that you have been heard. In your own unique way, you reminded us that innovation does not have to be big and complicated.”
Dr Brebnor said the experience allowed students to see how innovation can drive growth and improvement within the sector.
“If you recognise that something takes 10 steps and you think through that it can take five and could still get to the same outcome, ask, ‘Why are we doing this with 10 steps? We can’t do it with five? And then show how we could possibly do it with five.”
The annual initiative was held over an eight-week period.