The
executive council of the University of The Gambia Students Union (UTGSU) is
rigorously working to consolidate the summer internship initiative that was
started by their predecessor.
The
15th executive council, being led by Ansumana B Bojang as president, has
already sent a sizeable number of students on internships to institutions such
as Takaful Insurance Company, Medical Research Council, Ministry of Higher
Education, UTG, Gambia Revenue Authority, Gambia Ports Authority, NAWEC, QCell
and Africell.
The
internship targets students in their third and fourth years across all the
schools of the UTG and it is under the Office of the UTGSU Vice President.
President
Bojang said his council is lobbying and negotiating with more institutions both
in the public and private sectors so that they can be accepting UTG students on
internship during the summer vacation which last more than three months.
The
demand for the internship is high, Bojang said calling on more institutions to
be accepting the interns and imploring those already accepting to increase the
number they take.
The
internship initiative is meant to engage students during the long vacation to
acquire job-related skills so as to increase their chances of employment after
their university programme.
“It
is a process for students to learn the practical of job related matters because
most of the time after completion of university, students are asked for job
experience when they apply for employment and that put them in a disadvantaged
position,” UTGSU President said. “But
now the internship will give them that experience even before they fully get
into the labour market.”
He
said the internships helps to meaningfully and productively engage students who
would have been bored sitting at home for about four months of the summer
holiday