Public Sector Management Unit Introduces Pilot Internship Programme

The Public Sector Management Unit in the Department of Government has introduced an innovative internship programme, which was piloted in Summer 2009. The programme, in which selected eight Second Year B.Sc. Public Sector Management students participated, was organized in collaboration with the Government of Jamaica, and is being seen as a pioneering
effort by the department to give the students an opportunity to put their theory into practice.

"This programme has come out of a review of the Department of Government, to provide practice -driven experience to the students," said Dr. Eris Schoburgh, Lecturer and Head of the Public Sector Management Unit. "It reflects also the new focus on producing rounded graduates that are easily integrated into the world of work," Dr. Schoburgh added.

She further informed that the review coincided with new direction in curriculum, which puts more emphasis on soft skills. "We intend to establish a career path for future civil servants, who can go directly to a public organisation and function effectively," she said.

The internship resonates with the initiatives that the department has taken, with an objective to establish a path for future civil servants. Dr. Schoburgh expressed confidence that once the students have undergone this training, they will be able to function effectively in an organisation.

The internship programme has been devised for the students to be effective in the professional context, identify and solve problems, think critically and offer solutions. This experience should also help them to use their research skills and meet deadlines. She advised that four ministries: Health, Youth and Culture, Justice and Transport and Works have offered to participate in the programme, in which only the top ten students will be placed.

"The process for implementation of the programme was a long one, we had a lot of deliberations with the concerned
ministries," said Dr. Schoburgh. "We had meetings with the Office of the Cabinet and received commendations."

The PSU Head commented that her department had done meticulous planning to make this internship programme achieve its desired objectives. The preparation included an Orientation Seminar, which was done in conjunction with the Office of Placement and Career Services, Mona to provide proper briefing on expectations, roles, decorum, and support systems in place.

Before the commencement of the internship placements, all finalizing students also had to undergo a series of field trips
to Parliament to observe either a general sitting of parliament, the budget process or the operations of the Finance
Committee.

"What sets this internship apart is that we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of
Jamaica on the expectations of the programme,’“ she said. Under the terms of the agreement, certain broad guidelines
were established. They included ensuring that there was a space for the students to sit, they had to be given tangible
work and should any issues arise with the interns, they would be dealt with as Human Resource issues and redressed accordingly.

The internship programme accrues six credits, with the students being assessed based on their Field Trip report, a reflection paper, outlining what they have learned from the experience, identifying in what ways they were prepared, or not prepared for the programme by their course of studies, and providing suggestions on methods of enriching the experience. All students were also asked to prepare a Post Internship Report identifying any weaknesses observed in the agency, and provide a theoretically sound explanation and/or solution to the observed problem. This sought to evaluate the students’ ability to relate theory to the practical environment. upon completion of the internship, small informal group debriefing sessions were held, to evaluate the programme and obtain suggestions for strengthening.

Dr. Schoburgh expressed confidence that this pilot paved the path for the students of the Public Sector Management Unit to be better equipped and prepared when they go out to the world of work.

"This is an opportunity for them to learn and identify how they were prepared for the job, identify their shortcomings and provide suggestions for improvement," she said.