My Internship Experience at the CCREEE and Guidelines for Future Interns

By: Xarielle Gittens

I was super excited to have been the selected intern for Guyana as part of the energy internship programme with the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE).

My expectation for this internship was that it would be one that was very informative, rewarding and fun. However, in reality, it was so much more than that! It was absolutely incredible! The wealth of information that was available was mind blowing! There was so much about Guyana’s energy sector that I was completely unaware of and I had so much fun learning. In addition to accessing the information online I was blessed with the opportunity to interact with stakeholders and professionals in the energy industry to gain knowledge and access data on Guyana’s energy sector. I even had the opportunity to interact and meet new people especially the interns from other Caribbean countries. It was truly an amazing experience and I highly encourage students or anyone wanting to gain more insight and experience in the energy sector to apply to the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Energy Internship Programme.

Undoubtedly there were a few minor challenges but the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency team were very understanding of the challenges I encountered. All in all, I rose above these challenges and sought alternative ways to overcome them and I persevered to complete the tasks assigned to me. Therefore, I would advise future interns to always start early, do not procrastinate, be respectful, determined, participate in discussions, attend the weekly meetings and never be afraid to ask questions or raise concerns. The meetings are to assist you in completing your tasks, advising on how to complete tasks despite the challenges you may face and receiving updates or changes related to the collection of your data to name a few.

I hope that this post would be of encouragement to you future Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency interns. I hope that you find the internship experience as exciting as I did.