The Caiman Vybe Volume 1, No 1 Dec 9 2017 | Page 13

PAID OPPORTUNITIES FOR CARICOM STUDENTS are provided with a student permit that states that you are ‘not permitted to work’. However, according the immigration office in Trinidad which issues the student permit, the school may provide paid opportunities for its non-national students to work on campus. Jody-Ann Thompson Program: Bachelors of Arts in Journalism CARICOM Sudent OPINION I n COSTAATT’s pursuit to be a ‘world-class multi-campus college’, finding ways to support international students should be a priority. There are 40 students from Caribbean Community member states, also known as CARICOM, enrolled at COSTAATT. The current member states of the CARICOM are the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. As a final year CARICOM student, I have had more positive experiences at the college than I have had negatives. I have developed great appreciation for my school’s capacity and lecturer – student relationships that have significantly benefited by academic progression at the institution. Especially at Ken Gordon School of Journalism and Communication Studies. I have had experiences with lecturers, including my academic advisor Michelle Mitchell, who have echoed the school’s mission to transform lives. However, there is one issue that the school could address to improve the experience for CARICOM and International students. Full-time students on a student permit, are not allowed to work for incentive in Trinidad & Tobago. This is not the case at the University of the West Indies and for several other tertiary level institutions across Trinidad, too. Students should be permitted to work while outside of their home country. To work full-time as a non-national in Trinidad and Tobago, you need a work permit. As a student, you The work-study program currently at COSTAATT allows international students to participate, however unlike the rest of the student population, we do not receive a stipend. This is not very encouraging for most CARICOM students at COSTAATT. The facilitator of the student ambassador program, Jason Charles, said this is so because the Immigration Division in Port of Spain stated that as students we are not allowed to work while on a student permit. But, the immigration office in Trinidad told me that the school has the power to set up plans to facilitate non- national students as employees at COSTAATT. There is need for greater support for non-national students on campus at COSTAATT. Many students have come here from smaller islands in the CARICOM region, desperately looking for a better life. What is the benefit of excluding these students from earning a small income while they are studying in Trinidad? Every CARICOM student’s story is different. For me, it has not been as stressful as it has been for other CARICOM students who I have spoken to on campus. Having family around makes it easier to survive outside of your home country. My time left in COSTAATT is short, however, for future CARICOM students, the college should seek to make the effort to provide job opportunities, especially those that pay. The student ambassador program is not the only way through which COSTAATT can help its non-national students. Outside of internship opportunities that are unpaid and are included in the course curriculum, I should be able to apply for internship opportunities through COSTAATT that are paid. And I believe our school has the power to help me accomplish this. CARICOM and International Student Association 2018 – COSTAATT For the year 2018, a student association for CARICOM and International students will be established on campus. This group is for the purpose of us as students supporting each other as we study here at COSTAATT, and even as we transition into the world of work. If you would like to be a part of this initiative send us an email at [email protected] or call Marcianne Concliffe at 1 784 492-1415 (whatsapp only). COSTAATT Students from St.Vincent & the Grenedines, Jamaica and Antigua& Barbuda Photo Credit: Jody-Ann Thompson Caiman Vybe | Volume 1, No. 1 | December 9, 2017. COSTAATT Students from St.Vincent & the Grenedines, Jamaica and Antigua& Barbuda Photo Credit: Jody-Ann Thompson 13