CANADA – A program for Canadian students of Jamaican descent is giving youth the opportunity to take part in an exclusive, all-expenses-paid internship in Jamaica. Applications are now open for this year’s internship program!
“The GraceKennedy Jamaican Birthright Programme is an internship program offered to qualified applicants of Jamaican lineage and includes educational, professional as well as cultural exposure for applicants in the working environment,” reads an announcement on their website.
“Successful candidates will be accommodated in assigned GraceKennedy business offices and will have the opportunity of working among the management and staff of GraceKennedy on a day-to-day basis during the period of internship,” the release continues.
“Selected candidates will work in a GraceKennedy subsidiary linked to their field of study, therefore granting them hands-on experience in a wide range of industries. This internship will benefit the candidate in a variety of ways, including practical experience and mentorships. The internship will deepen awareness and connection to the candidates’ Jamaican roots and may help to define future career paths and involvements in the diaspora community,” reads a briefing on the program.
Additionally, GraceKennedy will cover the cost of airfare, housing, and transportation for successful candidates, and will also provide them with a stipend.
How to Apply for the Internship Program
In order to qualify, applicants must be pursuing either an undergraduate or graduate degree and have a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or higher. Candidates must also be between the ages of 18 and 25 years old and be able to provide proof of Jamaican parentage/grand parentage.
Program hopefuls will need to include a headshot photograph as well as an official transcript from their school, and a one-page typed essay with their application. You can start your application over on the GraceKennedy website.
The Birthright Programme was first introduced in 2004, in an effort to “deepen ties with second and third generation Jamaicans living in the United States, U.K. and Canada,” according to their website. The birthright program is open to university students whose parents and/or grandparents are originally from Jamaica.
Founded in 1922 in Jamaica, GraceKennedy is one of the largest Food and Financial corporate entities in the Caribbean. They oversee companies in the Caribbean, North and Central America, the United Kingdom, and Africa.
