Businesses urged to give interns stipends
Stabroek News
November 6, 2002
Regional Education Officer, Region 10, Ruthel Spenser has appealed to businesses in Linden to encourage work/study students by giving them a stipend.
Spenser was at the time speaking at a graduation exercise for 2002 work/study students held at the LICHAS Hall.
According to Spenser, students were attached to more than twenty-five locations in the region and only a few of these paid stipends.
Among these were the Linden Television Station, Courts and the National Library.
As such the education department, with a meagre sum from the Regional Democratic Council, was only able to give students a small amount of cash.
She said should businesses give stipends, the department of education would be better able to afford substantial stipends for those students who are attached to government departments including the RDC & health centres.
This year 122 students responded to the work/study stint this year. The attachments were done in two phases of four weeks duration each. Students were drawn from five secondary and three primary schools in the region.
Officer in charge of work/study 2002 Ruth Mentore told the gathering it was the first time that work/study was conducted in two phases and agencies in the region, being accustomed to accommodating student for one six-week period, were somewhat apprehensive in their response.
She said that two agencies insisted on having their students for the full six-week period, while a few chose to retain students for one phase only.
All 122 students were awarded certificates of participation since it was noted that generally the students' performances were reported as above average.
"Some of the areas of real outstanding performance were attendance, punctuality, deportment and work attitude," Mentore outlined.
All students completed their stints and a few were fortunate to gain employment at the agencies to which they were attached.
Some of the students complained of being put to do duties, which were neglected like filing but said the experience has prepared them for the world of work. (Cathy Wilson)