The Jamaica Diaspora Technology Task Force based in the United States is offering practical job experience to 12 Jamaican engineering students.
The project is being facilitated under the Calico Open Source Software Development Project. The project is the responsibility of the Diaspora Technology Task Force in partnership with Jamaica’s Palisadoes Foundation.
The initiative was first introduced in 2016. It matches the Jamaican students with a Diaspora mentor. Seven students benefitted last year.
The task force works with the University of the West Indies Computing Society to select students each summer. The students are provided with a stipend to work on an open source software development project.
The students are permitted stay in Jamaica while they work on the projects.
The project was inspired by a member of the Diaspora who studied computing at the University and recognized the need for Jamaican students to gain practical experience to be relevant for the global environment.
The most successful students are offered internships and jobs from Diaspora-owned companies. The jobs sometimes require the awardees to stay in Jamaica or in some cases to migrate.
Applications for the project usually opens in March each year and selection takes place in May and June.
