More than 1,100 students gained employment under the 2023 Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) summer internship programme (SIP).

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, who delivered remarks at a media briefing on Thursday (August 17) at Devon House in St. Andrew, said, “The summer internship programme that TEF has been managing has
reached a new high in 2023.”

Some 14,000 young persons registered using the online portal, of which more than 1,100 gained employment in 136 areas across Jamaica.

The programme took place over two cycles, with the first batch of interns working from June to mid-July. The second batch started in late July and will end on August 25.

Minister Bartlett informed that, this year, the programme worked with the Hospitality and Tourism Management Programme, which involves more than 300 high-school students islandwide.

Among the list of employers that participated in the programme are all seven Sandals hotel properties, AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston, Golf View Hotel, Altamont Court Hotel, Marriott Courtyard, and the Grand Excelsior Hotel.

“The SIP is intended to help parents, guardians and their young charges. Part of the whole programme is to assist young people who are in transition from high schools into tertiary institutions,” the minister explained.

He further informed that each student was paid a weekly stipend based on the category in which they fall.

Fifth-form students received up to $14,500, sixth-form students up to $16,500 while first and second-year college students received up to $18,000 and third-year students up to $20,500.

Participants were also offered the opportunity to complete the American Hotels and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) customer service gold professional certification.

Meanwhile, TEF executive director, Dr. Carey Wallace, thanked corporate Jamaica for their role in the programme, noting that without them to provide the “actual internships” for the participants, the programme would not have been a success.

The TEF Summer Internship Programme, established in April 2007, is a significant initiative to provide young people with valuable work experience across various sectors.

Under the guidance of the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation (JCTI), the programme partners with organisations in all 14 parishes.

Participants gain real-world experience over six weeks while receiving mentoring from professionals in the field.