Barbados’ flagship environmental youth internship programme has hit a new milestone of competitiveness this year, drawing a record-breaking number of applicants for just a handful of available positions, according to the head of the hosting agency. Speaking at the closing ceremony for the 2026 Environmental Summer Internship Programme, held this week at the Savannah Hotel in Hastings, Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU) director Dr. Leo Brewster revealed that 280 young people competed for only 29 open spots in the programme – a new all-time high for participation.
Widely regarded as the longest-running and most competitive youth development initiative under the country’s Ministry of Environment, the programme has emerged as a critical launching pad for young adults seeking to build professional careers in environmental conservation and climate action, Dr. Brewster explained.
“The untapped potential of this programme to engage young people, women, and any individual passionate about protecting our natural environment is nearly boundless,” Dr. Brewster told attendees at the ceremony.
He outlined that the hands-on programme was intentionally structured to provide recent graduates and early-career participants with real-world professional experience across a range of environmental and natural heritage subfields. Beyond offering immersive exposure to the sector, the internship also equips participants with core in-demand skills spanning technical analysis, administrative operations, field research, and data management, while letting interns contribute directly to active conservation projects, research initiatives, biodiversity monitoring, public outreach campaigns, and community engagement efforts.
The ceremony also featured remarks from Barbados Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment Santia Bradshaw, who took the opportunity to honor the legacy of the late Dr. Shelly-Ann Cox, former Chief Fisheries Officer, and her long-held vision to expand opportunities for young people to build a personal connection to environmental stewardship.
Bradshaw recalled a field tour of Consett Bay she took with Dr. Cox shortly before Dr. Cox’s unexpected passing, during which the pair discussed plans to launch dedicated environmental youth camps designed to foster a lifelong love of the ocean and the island’s natural ecosystems among young Barbadians.
“Sadly, Dr. Cox left us far too soon, and we were not able to advance that vision as far as we had hoped,” Bradshaw said.
She issued a call to the graduating interns to carry forward Dr. Cox’s legacy by leveraging their new skills and professional networks to inspire more young people to join the conservation movement, and to partner with the Ministry of Environment and its associated agencies to advance shared climate and protection goals. Bradshaw urged interns not to view the programme’s completion as an endpoint, but rather as a starting point for giving back to their local communities and mentoring the next generation of environmental leaders.
Bradshaw shared her ambition that the internship programme will over time grow a robust network of trained environmental professionals across all of the island’s key environmental agencies – including the Natural Heritage Department, National Conservation Commission, Coastal Zone Management Unit, Fisheries Division and Biodiversity Unit – who will prioritize knowledge-sharing and mentorship to build a sustainable, skilled workforce for Barbados’ conservation sector. The closing ceremony was also attended by key stakeholders from Barbados’ fishing industry. (Photo credit: Shamar Blunt / Barbados TODAY)