Republic Bank honours 36 young apprentices

Port of Spain, Trinidad, May 29, 2017 – “ The world of today can be harsh, and life with all its blessings and afflictions, can come at you fast, almost as if it doesn’t care if you are ready or not. And the truth is, it really doesn’t. You just have to be ready at all times because, quite frankly, that readiness is all.”

Words of advice from Republic Bank’s Executive Director, Roopnarine Oumade Singh, at the Republic Bank Youth Link Apprenticeship Programme graduation ceremony, held at the Bank’s Head Office on Park Street, Port of Spain on May 24.

He encouraged the 36 youth link apprentices to tap into their talents and keep on the path to success. “The greatest asset that you can possibly have as you build your futures is to be emotionally intelligent. In this world, this society that we live in, how you deal with people and problems may quicker guarantee your success, than any letter or degree after your name,” Oumade Singh said.

The programme which is in its 31st year, is targeted to Secondary School students between the ages of 16 to 19, in the Business Studies stream. It is aimed at equipping participants with basic training and marketable skills in business-related disciplines, in order to improve their career options, while bridging the gap between the school and work environment.

Also delivering remarks were the Bank’s General Manager, (Group) Human Resources, Anna-Maria Garcia-Brooks and Guest Speaker, Youth and Community Development Specialist Teocah Dove.

Garcia-Brooks urged the young people to not allow failures to thwart their efforts and progress. “Learn from every failure, from every mistake that you make – to err is human- but learn from the errors and commit never to repeat them,” she said.

Dove engaged the young people, having them recite positive affirmations, while sharing some of her life stories and achievements. “To achieve your legacy, you must have a meaningful journey. There is no blueprint, but there are tenets and characteristics to achieving success,” Dove shared.

For the duration of the programme, the apprentices were attached to a Republic Bank Branch or Specialist Unit, where they were exposed to various courses in office procedures, personal development, banking operations, customer service and computing. Certificates of participation, along with four (4) special awards, were distributed to the participants for their performance. At the ceremony, entertainment was provided by singer/songwriter, Arielle Cowie.

The Republic Bank Youth Link Apprenticeship Programme is a demonstration of the Bank’s commitment to the development of the young people in Trinidad and Tobago.

Top Performers: Maxine Mottley (3rd from left), Keegan Maikoo (centre), Amrika Phillip (3rd from right) and Samantha Singh (2nd from right) won the special awards for Most Disciplined, Most Improved, Best Business Plan and Most Outstanding, respectively, at the graduation ceremony of the 2017 Republic Bank Youth Link Apprentice Programme. They are flanked by (L to R) Executive Directors, Roopnarine Oumade Singh and Jacqueline Quamina and Group Human Resources General Manager, Anna-Maria Garcia-Brooks.

Teocah Talks: Guest Speaker, Youth and Community Development Specialist, Teocah Dove, delivers a thought-provoking speech at the Graduation ceremony held at the Bank’s Head Office on May 24.