(CIBC) Bridgetown, Barbados, June 26, 2024 – The branches and offices of regional bank CIBC Caribbean have come alive with youthful energy as the bank welcomed 73 interns as part of its annual summer internship programme.

The students, drawn primarily from regional colleges and universities as well as those attending or accepted to colleges in the United States and Canada, will spend the next three months immersed in all aspects of the bank’s operations in Antigua, Barbados, The Bahamas, The Cayman Islands, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Turks and Caicos Islands and Trinidad and Tobago.

The internship programme which commenced on June 3 and will conclude on August 31, 2024, has students spread across departments and units in the bank such as Finance, Audit, Human Resources, Property Services, Personal and Business Banking, Technology, Infrastructure and Innovation and Corporate Banking.

“CIBC is thrilled to offer our Summer Internship Program to over 70 students this year. This initiative is a cornerstone in our suite of Early Career Programmes that support the development of talented young professionals. It truly is a testament to the quality of talent that exists across the region,” said Jewel Clarke, the bank’s Director, Talent Management and Employee Experience.

She said the bank’s “investment in our young professionals helps to support their development, provide meaningful experiences, and build skillsets that they can use in the future. The programme is intentionally designed to enrich their experience with exposure to senior leaders and networking opportunities”.

Clarke added thar each year the bank also “welcomes returning interns whose trajectory to join the organization is very promising. Whether they join CIBC or contribute to another employer in the region, we are honored to provide this experience to our young people. We see the value of this important programme and have seen it grow from 10 interns in 2016 to the viable program that it is now in 2024”.

Reyna Grant, who is one of 43 interns in Barbados described her experience at the bank so far as “insightful and engaging”. Grant is attached to the Corporate Communications unit at the bank’s regional headquarters.

“I am someone who loves to be challenged and exposed to new things. My greatest expectation for this internship is to learn under the tutelage of banking professionals about the intricacies of the financial sector. I hope that I’ll discover a passion for banking and gain valuable experience that will propel me forward in my career,” said Dominique Williams, Corporate Banking intern at the St. Kitts branch of the bank.

A third time is the charm for Andrew McLaughlin Jr. who is back at the bank’s Main Street, Grand Cayman branch for a third year as an intern.

“As I continue my studies in pursuit of a degree in Information Systems, the internship experience has helped me understand how to better apply the knowledge I have gained from my studies in Florida. I hope this year’s internship experience better prepares me for the ability to work in a similar (if not this particular) environment and builds my resume to assist me in appearing more favorable for a job opportunity when I complete my studies,” he said.