Video: Success of Summer Intern Programme
Air Care is challenging other firms to offer summer training schemes to young Bermudians following the success of their programme this summer with a young student.
In partnership with Impact Mentoring Academy, Air Care took on one of their pupils, 15-year-old Stephon Paynter, as a summer student, giving him hands-on training until the new school term started.
Brendan Stones, Air Care’s General Manager, said there was potential for the partnership with Impact to grow. “It was a fantastic experience not only for Stephon, but for Air Care as well.
“To sit in our most recent Management Team meeting and hear the positive comments from our Senior Managers was a testament both to Stephon’s performance over the past two months, as well as the benefit of having undertaken the experience.”
He said he believed that the partnership had gone well, adding: “Hopefully Stephon will not only tell his friends that the HVAC industry is one worth pursuing, but will choose it himself. The HVAC industry is very short of qualified Bermudians and certification and training opportunities do exist.”
Stephon has spent the past eight weeks with Air Care, during which time he has been mentored by experienced technicians and provided with hands-on experience on a range of projects around the Island.
He said he had learned a lot during his time with the firm, adding that the experience had also given him a taste of what it is like to work full-time for a living.
“I am used to coming home and hearing my parents say ‘oh, work was so hard’. Now I understand what they are talking about,” he said.
Asked what he would tell his fellow students, Stephon added: “It was definitely a great experience and I would recommend getting out into the working world. I have learnt a fair amount about refrigeration and AC, but there is still a lot more to learn.”
Chris Crumpler, Impact’s Executive Director, was full of praise for the partnership and how it had impacted Stephon’s consideration of future career opportunities.
“Stephon did more than ride along-side the Air Care Technicians. He also got to meet the people in the business; the people who undertake business development and client support, purchasing and inventory and human resources.”
“Work experience opportunities such as the one between Stephon and Air Care expose the participating students to the ins and the outs of the business and overall industry.
“The goal is that after completing a work experience, when they come back into the classroom the students would now have something to aspire to that is tangible,” said Mr Crumpler.
He also said that as stories about Stephon’s progress appeared on Bernews and Air Care’s Facebook page he had received quite a few calls from parents of other Impact students who wanted to know how they could get their own son involved in such an experience.
“They were asking ‘how can my son get involved”, he said. “And that was exactly what I was hoping for. The next piece is to engage other organisations to consider offering a similar experience.”
Mr. Stones added: “Air Care is committed to encouraging the uptake by Bermudians of entering this industry and I challenge other firms on the Island to do the same thing.”
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