Fifteen students have completed a six-week SkillCraft youth internship with host organisations across Bermuda to gain valuable work experience.

They worked on social-media marketing programmes that featured a new professional coaching partnership to gain advanced skills and boost workplace confidence ahead of their next steps in employed life.

SkillCraft, a charity, paired 15 youth interns with host groups across the island to provide assistance with social-media content planning and creation.

For three days each week, the interns attended workshops led by facilitators Jenaia Curtis and Nadia Khan to build their marketing knowledge.

They spent the remaining two days each week at their host organisation, gathering content and learning about the organisation’s work.

Interns also spent a day shadowing staff across Digicel’s departments, from retail and customer service to engineering, producing original content along the way — including a Cup Match spirit video.

Harli Basden, who interned with Athene, said she came away with a new appreciation for the retail team, describing how she “liked seeing the different customers come in and how the workers interact with them and how they help them with different devices or plans”.

This year, SkillCraft also introduced a partnership with The Growth Mirror.

Under the guidance of coach Shannon Davis, interns took part in professional coaching sessions that helped them to generate their own solutions rather than being told what to do.

Edward Smith, who interned with Keep Bermuda Beautiful, said the programme changed how he thought about his summer and added: “I planned to work the entire summer at a job where I likely wouldn’t have learnt as many new skills.

“On the first day of this programme, I anticipated that I would hate it and not put much effort into it, but as I went through that first day I learnt more and more about other people.

“I chose to put the effort into earning my place in this programme, and I understood that I would need to work to stay.”

Reflecting on his coaching sessions, he added, “The aid of Shannon has been tremendously helpful during my time here.”

Other interns described similar shifts, and Amirah Ascento, who interned with the Bermuda National Gallery, said the programme “introduced me to art in a way I hadn’t anticipated”.

Macen Outerbridge, who interned with the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, said: “It showed me behaviours of the working world and gave me a broader perspective of what I can do and gave me courage in myself.”

Ahrie Lee, who interned at the seniors home Westmeath, said: “SkillCraft has truly built my confidence for comfort.”

Alaire Brown, who interned with the Women’s Resource Centre, said the programme “helped confirm that I want to work in marketing”.

Elsewhere, Kaeli Weeks Ible, who interned with the Adult Education School, said: “One thing that stood out to me at SkillCraft was the group assessments and feedback sessions.

“Hearing different perspectives from others helped me see what I was doing well and what I could improve on.”

The youth interns were matched with the following host organisations: Ahrie Lee (Westmeath), Alaire Brown (Women’s Resource Centre), Amirah Ascento (Bermuda National Gallery), Angel O’Loughlin (OBMI), Briyani Gibbons (Bermuda Zoological Society), Candace Honore (the Bermuda College), Daniela Ratteray (Marks & Spencer), Edward Smith (Keep Bermuda Beautiful), Georae Trott (Spexx Eyecare), Harli Basden (Athene), Kaeli Weeks Ible (Adult Education School), Macen Outerbridge (Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute), Mecaliv Asendido (Association of Bermuda International Companies), Shariah Freeman-Simmons (Solstice) and Sian Francis (Marks & Spencer).

At the end of the programme, the interns presented their work to their mentors from the host organisations.

SkillCraft cofounder and programme director Margot Shane said: “This year, our partnership with The Growth Mirror brought professional coaching into SkillCraft for the first time and gave our interns the tools to generate their own solutions to the challenges they faced.

“Paired with the dedication of our facilitators, Jenaia Curtis and Nadia Khan, this cohort showed extraordinary growth in just six weeks. Every host organisation speaks to the value of having an intern, and it is always a privilege to watch these young people step into their own confidence.”

SkillCraft’s 2026 social-media marketing programme was supported by the Centennial Bermuda Foundation, KPMG and Aon Bermuda.

• Recruitment for the 2027 SkillCraft Youth Internship will open in January. To find out more about the programme, visitskillcraft.bm