Nestlé Jamaica Foundation lauds interns

The Nestlé Jamaica Health and Wellness Foundation awarded and recognised the company’s outstanding interns at its graduation and awards ceremony last week at the company’s head offices in Kingston. Forty students were honoured, including 18 culinary students who formed part of Nestlé’s Young Culinary Talents Programme (YOCUTA), all under the global Nestlé Needs YOUth programme.

In recognition of the outstanding work displayed by many of these interns, the foundation awarded a few surprise bursaries to the three students who displayed the most outstanding work ethic, as identified by their line managers.

Garfene Grandison, general manager, Nestlé Jamaica Health and Wellness Foundation, said that more than 500 internship applications were received. “After a process of shortlisting and several interviews, the interns were selected on the basis of industry needs, community involvement, and financial need,” said Grandison.

At the awards ceremony, Grandison was elated as he spoke about the 2019 staging of the programme: “Today, we highlight the achievements of every intern being awarded here today. Your spirit represents what the foundation looks for in the future generation and is a testament to the fulfilment of the foundation’s vision to be recognised as Jamaica’s leading socially responsible company focused on nutrition, health, and wellness.”

CREATING SHARED VALUE

Ricardo Nembhard, country business lead, Nestlé Professional, the patron for the YOCUTA programme, outlined that in keeping with Nestlé’s commitment to creating shared value, the YOCUTA programme was created to identify, train, and develop young culinary talents to maximise their potential as budding chefs. “It gives me great pride and joy to know that Nestlé Professional has had such a positive impact on the lives of young culinarians, enhancing your skills and paving the path towards building an exciting career in the food service industry. We recognise the importance of such programmes and the impact it has on the development of our society, and we are dedicated to the continued success of this initiative to further contribute to the advancement of youth in Jamaica,” he told the culinary students at the ceremony.