College grads now getting internships
published: Tuesday | August 17, 2004

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I AM writing in response to the article in Saturday's edition of The Gleaner, entitled 'Low-paying jobs for college grads'. I specifically want to respond directly to Dr. Semaj's statement that "In the United States, it is the college students who are employed by places like Burger King and McDonald's." That may be true when he was a student (I am assumuing that he went to school in the U.S.), but it is becoming increasingly less so today, especially in the natural sciences.

I am speaking from my position as an instructor in a tertiary institution in the U.S. What is becoming more common is that rather than taking up jobs in McDonald's and Burger King undergraduate students are now getting internships at companies in which they will directly apply what they have learnt in the classroom. I cannot begin to tell you the number of recommendations I have written for my students applying for some internship at either a university or a private company like Merck, Pfizer, etc.

COUNT BLESSINGS

From time to time I have told my American students that they should count their blessings because I don't recall that such opportunities were open to me when I was a student at UWI pursuing a degree in chemistry. And when I graduated (in the late 80s) my options did not include a job or internship at a private firm where the skills I acquired at UWI would be utilised. Judging by the above-mentioned article the same situation exists today. This is not to devalue the job at McDonald's or Burger King but at this time in our modern histroy, I believe it is important to funnel our graduates as early as possible into avenues where, whatever they learnt can be utilised, or else we are simply throwing money down the drain preparing them for jobs that do not exist. Peace!

I am, etc.,

PETE NICELY

pnicely@email.com

Silver Spring, MD