21-year-old Vincentian university student returns, spearheads youth career training

By Admin. Updated 5:55 a.m., Thursday, August 18, 2022, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

The seven successful interns of the inaugural – The Browne Initiative training course (back row), Mr. Kyle Browne (third from left – front row) and other attendees.

A final-year major in Quantity Surveying at the University of Technology – UTECH in Jamaica has started a program in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to provide work experience and career guidance to teens.

Mr. Kyle Browne 21, has partnered with his alma mater – The St. Vincent Boys’ Grammar School – SBGS to introduce – The Browne Initiative, an internship course which was delivered with assistance from the SBGS business department.

The internship course ran from August 2nd, 2022 to August 16th 2022 and was being offered to students during the summer break after the completion of Form 4.

According to a post by the SBGS, the internship is intended to provide each student with the opportunity to observe and participate in many aspects of their potential job industry, while
gaining knowledge through hands-on experience.

At the closing ceremony for the internship program on August 17, Mr. Browne said the program was supposed to start next year, but this year, he decided to conduct a pilot program to inform the the decisions for next year’s program.

In the inaugural edition of the course seven (7) students were placed at various local companies after receiving training in work place etiquette, which was facilitated by Mrs. Villette Browne, the SBGS said.

At the August 17 closing ceremony, Mr. Browne spoke about where he got the inspiration to do the program.

Mr. Browne said: “while I was an intern, I saw a life that basically showed my St. Vincent in a particular light”.

“Times are changing,” Mr. Browne said, adding that “the level of professionalism,” is sometimes lacking here.

He said this program is targeting the youths, and aims to enhance their professional skills, while providing career guidance.

He said, once we put the youths on a path, they can’t say that they did not have an opportunity.

He said that in the future, they would like to branch off to different schools and businesses, including in the Grenadines.

The seven successful participants and the respective companies at which they interned are as follows:

Ethan Olliverre – Big Tigga
Luca Roberts – BVQSS
Joseph Warren – A.V Barnwell
Illario Anderson – Silvakast
Yuvraj Jack – KP Tech
Luke Lewis – Bytelands
Israel Cumberbatch – Metrocint