Hamilton – August 24^th, 2022

The City of Hamilton’s Summer Internship Programme concludes this Friday after eight knowledge-packed weeks.

13 students – from various areas of studies – were hired for the paid internship opportunity from a pool of more than 110 applicants. Each were assigned an individual mentor to guide them through the entirety of their on-the-job learning experience, working from personalized student plans which identified key duties and learning outcomes in their respective departments.

Students were placed in various departments and roles across the organization – from Finance and Administration to Marketing & Communications to Engineering and Parks. Students were even able to change departments during the programme in order to obtain additional experiences.

“We typically hire between six and ten students each summer but there were so many outstanding applicants this year that we decided to increase that number,” explained the City’s Director of Human Resources Lindell Foster. “At the City we believe in a fully immersive experience for our summer students in order to build the widest skillset in the shortest amount of time and, ultimately, to help them determine if this would be a good potential career choice for them going forward.”

Intern Malaysia Roberts has been working with the Marketing & Communications department for the past eight weeks and, during that time, greatly assisted with the planning and execution of one of the City’s most popular events – Summer Sunday: City Funday, which was held in July.

Malaysia said of the City’s summer internship programme, “It’s been a truly awesome experience. I really enjoyed the work environment and the people; it felt like a family – everyone was very nurturing and encouraging. I’ve learned a lot more about marketing, as well as what goes into planning large community events. The programme has also helped me hone my ‘soft skills’ such as how to formally address people over email and how to conduct professional conversations in the corporate world.”

Malaysia currently attends the Berkeley Institute and plans to study Marketing and Business Administration at University in 2023.

Danielle Foote is a current Architecture student in her final year at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). She has been placed with the City’s Engineering team during her internship this summer where she worked closely with the Assistant City Engineer on the renovation of the Earl Cameron Theatre bathrooms and dressing rooms. She has been intimately involved in every step of the process – from selecting appropriate paint colors to meeting with contractors.

Danielle said, “The whole experience has been really positive. Overall, I have gained more confidence in myself working with a team. It has helped me to not only recognize skills that I already possess but also how to feel confident in showcasing them outside of the office.

“Being involved in the Earl Cameron Theatre renovation project has also been really cool. I’ve met with a lot of contractors and builders on the island and have felt very involved in the project as a whole. Seeing the transformation of the space in the short time that I’ve been with the City has been extremely rewarding.”

City of Hamilton CEO Dwayne Caines said, “Summer employment programmes are so important for young Bermudians – often providing that crucial ‘foot in the door’ work experience that employers are seeking these days. In fact, many of our own City staff members started out as summer students, so the programme is extremely fruitful for us as well.”

Pictured in the group photo are the City’s summer students: Jhazii Johnson, Kesay Bell, Kisaye Bell, Danielle Foote, Yizharyah Williams, Micah Eve, Rylie Lodge, Malaysia Roberts, Zauree Roser, Isaiah Cameron, Brazil Furbert, and Keyahjae Simons.

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