National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCB) celebrated the successful completion of its 2023 summer internship programme by hosting an interactive corporate mixer. 

Taking place at the Jamaica Food and Drink Kitchen in Barbican, St. Andrew, the event served as a culminating experience where over 40 interns had the unique opportunity to engage in mentorship conversations with members of NCB’s leadership team, including Steven Gooden, CEO of NCB Capital Markets Limited, Sheree Martin, Senior Vice President – Retail Banking and Group Client Experience, Nadine Thomas, AVP – Private Wealth, Dr. Hopelin Hines, Senior Assistant Vice President – Group HR and Facilities Division and Christopher Vendryes, Head of Individual Line – NCB Insurance Agency and Fund Managers Limited.

Mentorship at the forefront

According to Hines, while networking was at the core of the event, it was more about establishing mentor-mentee relationships that could significantly impact the career paths of these young professionals. “At NCB, we believe in fostering the next generation of leaders. This mentorship-focused mixer is designed to create a seamless transition from academic learning to professional development,” Hines said.

Jeremy Ingram, a 20-year-old computer science student at the University of the West Indies (UWI) shared, “Having access to industry veterans and getting personalised career advice feels like a jump-start to my professional journey. This internship was not just about doing mundane tasks, but actually learning from the leaders about what it takes to succeed.”

Ingram added that his experience also helped to give him a much-needed practical perspective on the working world. “Learning in school is one thing, but when you get the opportunity to do real-life work, it feels so much more purposeful and intentional. Now more than ever, I am motivated to pursue a career in software engineering.”

Inspired by the interns

Steven Gooden, CEO of NCB Capital Markets Limited, remarked that he was inspired by several of the conversations that he held with the interns at the event.

“Many of these youngsters are so passionate about their goals and aspirations that it inspires and motivates me to support their professional development in any way that I can. When I listened to some of them speak, I got some insight into their mindsets, and I can tell that they will do very well in their chosen fields. They are bright and promising individuals and I look forward to seeing them grow to their full potential,” added Gooden.

NCB’s 2023 summer internship programme, which started in July and concludes on September 1, offered over 70 interns hands-on experience in departments like retail banking, customer experience, innovation, information technology, and marketing.