IGT provides career-development opportunity for students

As part of its ongoing efforts to provide opportunities for underserved young people, IGT Jamaica has employed two young men from SOS Children's Village in Stony Hill and a young lady from the Women's Centre Foundation of Jamaica as paid interns at its Kingston head office.

All three are beneficiaries of IGT's After-School Advantage (ASA) Programme, which provides digital learning centres to qualified non-profit community agencies and public schools. The ambitious students worked over the course of three months with the company. IGT, formerly GTECH, has been the online lottery technology provider to Supreme Ventures Limited since it began selling online draw games in 2001.

Human resources and administrative manager at IGT Jamaica Diane Walker noted that the outreach is an expansion of the company's regular internship programme. One young man was employed in the finance department, where he learned how to make journal entries, check bank records, and perform other administrative functions. His younger colleague obtained hands-on experience working in the technical department on repairs to equipment and systems. The interns expressed interest in these specific areas during their interviews. They were rotated occasionally to other departments in order to be given a sense of how the company as a whole functions.

JOB PROCESS

The interns went through the full job application and selection process. "They put together and submitted their resumes and cover letters," said Walker. The applicants were instructed in the correct demeanour and attire for their interviews. IGT Jamaica also assisted them with opening bank accounts to receive their pay. "This helped them understand the importance of saving and managing their money," noted Walker.

The two residents of SOS Children's Village said they learned some core values during their internship, including respect, good manners and teamwork. Both said that their internship was a "very good experience". The technical department intern said that he also liked completing his work on time and expressed interest in continuing to work in this field in the future. "I enjoyed interacting with the team," he added.

The young lady, who also benefited from IGT's career development session earlier this year, in partnership with Dress For Success Jamaica, expressed her hopes of the programme helping her focus and obtain a clearer understanding of her career goals.

General Manager of IGT Jamaica Debbie Green said: "We have enjoyed having these promising young people. We seek to provide our interns with the best possible introduction to the world of work while encouraging them in their particular interests. This has been an enriching experience for them, which we hope will benefit them in the future."