Fifty-Four students benefitted from Petrojam Limited’s 2019 Summer Employment Programme, which ends this Friday, August 23. The ten-week programme, which started on Monday, June 17, 2019, provided secondary and tertiary level students, ages 16 to 25 years with solid work experiences in disciplines including engineering, safety and security, logistics and marketing, among others. The programme was divided into two five-week phases.
Lisann Martin was quite appreciative of the experience, noting that it pushed her beyond previously conceived limits. “My supervisor didn’t take no for an answer when assigning me to complete a project beyond my comfort zone. With his help I have become more bold and assertive and I am very grateful to have broadened my horizon by meeting so many talented and helpful people,” she noted.
Petrojam’s current HJ Fenton Memorial Scholarship recipient and Third Year UWI Electronic Engineering Student, Tavar Brown was a participant in the first phase. He was assigned a project to investigate and improve the use of Portable Electronic Thermometers. “Working on this project was quite fulfilling as it helps to save the refinery money and maintain its trading integrity.
This project led to the updating of databases, tool repairs and calibration of thermometers, all of which gave me a genuine sense of usefulness to the company, for this short period,” he noted. My experience here totally transformed my preconceptions about summer employment. This was not just another summer job,” added Tavar.
University of Technology First Year Computer Science Major Damani Brown, who recently completed his first year in UTECH studying computer science, shared his observations of the “high level of hospitality” of the Petrojam staff. “The staff here made me feel welcomed and this helped with the little nervousness I was facing,” he stated, adding, “Though the organisation is large and multifaceted, each employee shares a bond that seems to live up to teamwork, one of Petrojam’s corporate value.”
University of Technology First Year Computer Science Major Damani Brown, who recently completed his first year in UTECH studying computer science, shared his observations of the “high level of hospitality” of the Petrojam staff. “The staff here made me feel welcomed and this helped with the little nervousness I was facing,” he stated, adding, “Though the organisation is large and multifaceted, each employee shares a bond that seems to live up to teamwork, one of Petrojam’s corporate value.”
Malik White, a Petrojam scholarship recipient and recent sixth form graduate of Camperdown High school, stressed the great influence the company has had on his work ethic. “This institution has nurtured me and has helped better every aspect of my personal, academic and now professional development,” he stated, adding that the support from staff and in particular the company’s Community Outreach Team, has left an indelible imprint on his life. Malik hopes to one day become a permanent member of the Petrojam team.
Petrojam’s Acting Manager, Human Resource Development & Administration, Nordia Sandford highlighted the importance of the Summer Employment Programme to Petrojam, noting that it is a demonstration of the company’s commitment to nation building through educating and gainfully employing our nation’s youth. “This programme demonstrates our commitment to youth development by ensuring that our students are exposed to different work disciplines and develop an appreciation for the demands and requirements of the formal work environment,” she stated.
Petrojam Limited is Jamaica’s sole oil refinery, built by ESSO in 1963 and purchased by the Government of Jamaica in 1982. The company is owned by the Government of Jamaica with 51% shares held by the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica and 49% by the Accountant General’s Department.
