The Tribune

CIBC FirstCaribbean marked International Women’s Day by giving one high school senior a first-hand glimpse of the banking profession.

The bank recently invited a promising female student to shadow some of its top women leaders – exposing the participant to the world of work prior to graduation.

Moesha Pratt, a 12th grader at C R Walker Senior High School, had the opportunity to experience various sectors of the company’s daily operations. She met with company executives and team members, had a tour of the flagship branch, and gained valuable advice from banking industry leaders.

CIBC FirstCaribbean’s Job Shadow Day allowed Moesha to observe workforce ethics and professional behaviour while being immersed in a positive organisational culture.

Marie Rodland-Allen, CIBC FirstCaribbean managing director, spoke the bank’s continued celebration of International Women’s Day and the impact engendered by the Job Shadow Day initiative.

“Each year we come together to celebrate this important day, but for us, it is more than a day on the calendar. Celebrating women and their accomplishments is nothing new at CIBC FirstCaribbean, where women play an important role across the organisation. I’m incredibly proud of the ways our bank invests in women at every level,” she said.

“This year’s theme for International Women’s Day was ‘I am Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights’. We hoped to empower and inspire the next generation of female leaders with this exercise, to show them that there is a place for women in this industry. We look forward to seeing great things from Moesha and trust that this experience will help her along the way.”

During the course of the Job Shadow Day, Moesha met with Mrs Rodland-Allen; discussed all things marketing with Nikia Christie, Marketing Manager; got financial insights from Stacia Williams, Financial Controller; and learned from Latoya Barnes, Head of Human Resources, how she could best apply her interests and talents to the workforce.

Although undecided about what path she will take in her post-high school pursuits, Moesha said she was thankful and appreciative for her interactive experience at the bank. From it, she was able to see how the theoretical concepts she learns in school can be practically applied on the job.

“This was a good experience. All of the ladies were friendly and they opened my eyes to what I could do. I didn’t realise that there could be so many branches of a company and it was great to learn that this bank is always giving back to the community,” Moesha said.