The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A Bahamian retailer yesterday disclosed it is doubling its summer intern programme to 20 persons amid the economy's strong post-COVID rebound.

Martha Wallace, owner/ operator of Janaees Uniform Centre, told Tribune Business this is the first time the company has taken on such a large number of interns. “We have done this summer programme for years, and a friend of mine said that we need to start letting the public know exactly what we’re doing because a lot of people don’t know what we’re doing for the community," she said.

“We have 20 students now in our summer programme, and it has nothing to do with the Government’s summer programme. It’s only to do with Janaees Uniform Centre. We are teaching the interns work ethic and how to save their money, teaching them how to give customer service. We also teach them about punctuality and things of that nature.”

The Janaees summer intern programme has been a company staple for more than a decade, with one break during the COVID-19 pandemic, but was restarted in 2022 and has this year been expanded to its largest ever. “This is a very, very costly venture. Last year, we had a challenge whereby the pandemic was not fully over and we had a line outside because we can only allow a certain quantity of persons in at a time," Ms Wallace said.

“Even though we put up the tent and we would have offered water, we still had some customers who were not so pleased because they had to wait on a line. So, therefore, I said I will also increase the amount of students that we would bring on this year.”

Customer traffic is heavy at Janaees in the back to school run-up, with lines snaking around its property even during the non-pandemic years. The intern period will last until August 25, with the students involved rotated periodically.

"A lot of children are in need, and while they are in need to help their parents we would also want them to be saving their funds. Because we don’t pay cash, we want you to have a bank account so you can start your savings early,” Ms Wallace said.