Take Charge of Your Future - Governor Urges Interns, Apprentices

Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam has urged participants in the National Internship and Apprenticeship Programme to work hard, remain proactive and take responsibility for their own success, warning that “no one is owed anything.”

Governor Her Excellency Dileeni Daniel Selvaratnam presents a certificate of completion to Roneika Johnson, one of the Apprentices under the Government Apprentices and Internship Programme

Speaking at the programme’s closing ceremony at Beaches Resort and Spa on Providenciales on Tuesday, August 4, the Governor told the young participants that opportunities would not simply be handed to them.

“Nothing is going to be landed on you on a silver plate,” she said. “We have to make our own luck for ourselves, and that means putting the work in, taking advantage of what is presented to you, turning up on time and being proactive.”

Daniel-Selvaratnam acknowledged the pressures facing young people, particularly in an age of social media when they are frequently exposed to the achievements and lifestyles of others.

She reassured participants that they did not need to have every stage of their lives mapped out, noting that even carefully made plans can change.

“Have your plans, but don’t worry if you don’t have your plans,” she advised. “What you need in all instances is to be open. You’ve got to be curious, but most importantly, you have to persevere and be open to the opportunities that present themselves to you.”

Drawing on her own experience, the Governor said some of her greatest professional and personal growth came from accepting roles she had not initially expected to pursue.

She encouraged the interns and apprentices to see their placements as the beginning of their professional networks and to maintain contact with the people they met during the programme.

 A section of the audience at the Closing Ceremony of the National Internship and Apprenticeship Programme at Beaches Resort and Spa.

“Nurture that network,” she said. “Keep in touch with the people that you have met because they are the ones who will remember you and remember what your talent is.”

The Governor also said success in the workplace is not determined solely by academic grades. She said career progression requires people to make difficult decisions, assess risks and accept responsibility for their choices, even when outcomes do not go according to plan.

Participants were also encouraged to learn how to work with people who have different personalities and approaches to life.

“You will work with many wonderful people. You will work with people who have a whole different approach to life than you do,” she said. “You’re all going to have to get the best out of each other.”

Daniel-Selvaratnam described the participants as role models for the Turks and Caicos Islands and appealed to them to maintain their integrity, values and faith.

She warned that some younger people could be attracted to paths promising instant money or status but which would not serve them well in the long term.

The ceremony marked the completion of the fifth cycle of the National Internship and Apprenticeship Programme, which provides young people with practical workplace experience in government departments and private-sector organisations.