Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Agriculture has marked a major milestone for its youth development initiative, welcoming the largest cohort of summer interns in the program’s history in just its second year of operation.
Following the overwhelming success of the inaugural 2025 internship program, the ministry has more than doubled its intake capacity, growing from 15 positions last summer to over 30 openings for 2026. This rapid expansion is not a random adjustment: it directly responds to surging student interest in agricultural careers, while advancing the ministry’s long-standing mission to deliver high-impact, real-world work experience that nurtures emerging talent for both the agricultural sector and public service.
Diversity is a defining feature of this year’s cohort, with participants drawn from 10 secondary and post-secondary institutions spanning both Antigua and Barbuda. Represented schools include Antigua Girls’ High School, Princess Margaret Secondary School, Pares Secondary School, Jennings Secondary School, Clare Hall Secondary School, Ottos Comprehensive School, All Saints Secondary School, Sir Novelle Richards Academy, Barbuda’s Sir McChesney George Secondary School, and the Antigua & Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS), bringing together young people from diverse communities across the twin-island nation.
One particularly encouraging sign of the program’s early success is the return of seven interns who participated in the 2025 cohort. Their choice to rejoin the program speaks volumes about the transformative positive experience they gained a year prior, and underscores how the internship delivers tangible value: building hands-on technical skills, boosting professional confidence, and helping young people clarify long-term career pathways in agriculture and public work.
Over the course of the summer, interns will dive into a full schedule of immersive, practical activities designed to introduce them to every corner of the national agricultural sector. A core component of the program will be guided visits to working farms and agricultural facilities across Antigua, giving students on-the-ground insight into daily operations, modern farming practices, and supply chain management. These hands-on experiences are designed to do more than build skills: they aim to foster a deeper public appreciation for agriculture, while helping young people understand the sector’s foundational role in driving Antigua and Barbuda’s national economic and social development.
Ministry leadership has emphasized its pride in the program’s explosive growth in just two years. By doubling participant numbers and expanding outreach to include schools from more communities across both islands, the institution has reaffirmed its commitment to investing in Antigua and Barbuda’s youth, and cultivating the next generation of leaders who will steer the nation’s agricultural future and public service sector.
In closing, the Ministry of Agriculture extended a warm official welcome to all new and returning interns, extending its well wishes for an educational, rewarding, and successful summer as the group embarks on this professional development journey.