Two ASC students gain real-world experience and exposure to the operations of a bargaining agency during Workers’ Union internship

Two students from the Antigua State College (ASC) gained valuable working
experience and useful insight into workers’ rights, as a result of their
participation in a six-week internship program at the Antigua and Barbuda
Workers’ Union.

This is the second year that the Union has welcomed final-year Business
Department students to facilitate their orientation into the world of work.
The general secretary, Senator David Massiah, said he was pleased to have the
interns onboard. He told the interns that the knowledge and skills they
acquired will be a firm foundation for building productive and fulfilling
careers.

Massiah added that young workers are an important group within the trade
union movement, and he also committed to offering more support and
training for this group of workers in the future.

Both interns, Te’myah Browne and Rheonce′ Gomes, had first-hand exposure
to the day-to-day operations at the union. The training covered administrative
and clerical duties, as well as communication and marketing activities.

Gomes, a marketing student, shared a detailed account of her experience: “I
completed various tasks, such as filing and organizing paperwork; assisting
with creating a month’s content plan for the Union’s snackette page; taking
members’ photos and uploading information into the system, as well as
liaising with various union officers and support staff.

“I enjoyed attending a Union workshop in May, where workers of all sectors
gathered together to gain knowledge and express their opinions,” Gomes
added.

Business administration major Browne described an equally enlightening
experience. “I learned that it is extremely beneficial to join a union once you
are working and over the age of 18,” she shared. “[And] I was able to interact
with ordinary workers who became members after visiting the union for
advice and representation.”

In addition, Browne said that one of her favorite parts of the experience was
editing photos, videos and news articles for the Union’s website and social
media pages.

The Union’s communication officer, Anderson Edghill, worked closely with the
students and described them as talented and eager to learn. Edghill added
that both interns are now equipped with the basic knowledge and skills to
enable them to function productively in the world of work.