ST JAMES, Jamaica — The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) is to introduce alternative pathways to support students, in addition to its existing summer internship programme.

Executive Director of the TEF, Carey Wallace, said the agency received approximately 16,900 applications for about 1,000 paid internship positions, underscoring the growing demand among young people for work-readiness opportunities.

Wallace said the overwhelming response highlighted the need for additional methods to help students gain practical experience and strengthen their employability.

“We could not simply send 15,000 applicants a ding letter to say sorry. I said since they made a forward step to try and get that internship over the summer, let us still use our resources to provide them something of value,” he added.

He was speaking at the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) Tourism Forum at Sandals Dunns River in Ocho Rios, St Ann, on June 27.

Wallace explained that the TEF is developing several initiatives aimed at ensuring that applicants who were not selected for the programme can still access opportunities for personal and professional development.

The agency also plans to collaborate with government entities and service providers to assist young people in obtaining essential credentials, such as tax registration numbers (TRNs) and bank accounts.

In addition, the TEF is working with HEART/NSTA Trust and other training institutions to provide access to training to strengthen participants’ résumés and workplace readiness.

Among the measures being considered is the introduction of volunteer internships for the 2027 summer period, which would allow participants to gain supervised work experience and earn certification despite the absence of paid placements.

Noting that students would prefer paid experiences, Wallace said experience will help to strengthen their résumés for job hunting in the future.

“If we can partner with the hotels, with corporate Jamaica, to be able to still provide internships at the voluntary level, it will still get more and more having the value of the experience. I think all of us in here probably know how it feels when you are applying for a job and they ask for experience, and it’s not on your résumé,” he said.

Wallace said the approach reflects the TEF’s commitment to ensuring that the strong interest shown by young Jamaicans translates into meaningful opportunities for skills development, employment and career advancement.

— JIS