HELP partners with Libra Group for summer internships

July 21, 2014

The Haitian Education and Leadership Program (HELP) announces today that it has secured valuable internship placements with international business group, Libra Group, under a new partnership for high-achieving Haitian university students. These internships provide promising students with the professional growth opportunity they deserve, as a critical step in creating a community of empowered young professionals and leaders with the skills to combat social and economic disadvantage in Haiti.

Laurent Lamothe, Prime Minister of Haiti, commented: “We see professional training as a fundamental element to spur a new generation of entrepreneurs, to that end my government has successfully partnered with Libra Group and HELP. I look forward to seeing this program extend to public university students in the coming months and commend all partners for their continued engagement with Haiti.”

The first three HELP interns have started work with Libra. The HELP students will receive the full benefits of the Libra Internship Program, including specially assigned mentors, and ‘buddies’ who are responsible for optimizing both professional experience and social acclimatization within Libra Group. The company offers detailed appraisal, training and strong support in recruitment efforts for the future. The number of Haitian interns at Libra Group is expected to rise to 10 in 2015.

The initial interns are from the Université Quisqueya and the Ecole Supérieure d’Infotronique d’Haïti (ESIH). Following an intensive, week-long induction at Libra Group’s New York offices, their assignments span work for Libra’s renewable fuels business, its IT department and its educational programs division, with immediate access to, and immersion in, Libra Group’s diverse operations.

“We are so excited that HELP is sending three Haitian scholars to Libra for internships,” said Vladimir Laborde, Secretary General of Haiti’s Presidential Advisory Council on Economic Growth and Investment (PACEGI). “This is an amazing opportunity which will complement their studies as well as develop their professional skills and confidence. The PACEGI mandate is to identify and facilitate investments and economic growth. This is why the initiative between HELP and Libra Group is such a perfect response. The development of our human resources is a key aspect of achieving our growth targets. Investment in our youth in particular represents a wise investment that will ensure future prosperity for Haiti.”

Carla Brillembourg-Clark, Director of Educational Programmes, Libra Group, added: “To be able to bring in promising students from Haiti through HELP we hope will be a rewarding experience for them, and it certainly is another major development for Libra’s internship programme which has changed many lives already through the inspiration and confidence it gives to young people; we very much hope for the positive impact it can also bring to Haiti. We are particularly grateful to the Clinton Foundation for bringing us together with both HELP and the Haitian government. ”

HELP is the latest partner organisation to provide interns to the Libra Internship Program. With 30 subsidiaries operating across five continents, Libra is predominantly focused on five core sectors: shipping, aviation, real estate, hospitality and energy. Its global internship program, launched in 2012, offers talented and successful students the opportunity to gain an insight into international business, strategy and management while they develop skills that will help define their future. Today the program provides opportunities for up to 100 young people per annum and sources candidates from seven partner organizations.

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