AMSTERDAM – The Cari-Aire aviation internship program was officially relaunched last week at the Office of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten in The Hague. This initiative, developed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) in partnership with Caribbean aviation authorities and the WeConnect Foundation, aims to strengthen aviation expertise across all six islands.
Beginning in September, four interns will embark on five-month internships with institutions including the Sint Maarten Aviation Authority, Saba Airport, and Fundashon Mariadal in collaboration with Bonaire Airport.
The program builds on the success of its first cohort. Former intern Ghyslaine Sambo gained valuable experience with Curaçao’s aviation authorities, while Aruba native Charles Huntington turned his internship with Aruba’s aviation authorities into a full-time position after completing his Aviation studies at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.
This new intake includes:
- Timo Jansen (AUAS), who will support the development of a pharmaceutical drone corridor in Bonaire.
- Lucas Bol (AUAS), who will contribute to enhancing the flight operations manual in Sint Maarten.
- Aquilla Pemberton, a law student from The Hague University, who will bring a legal perspective to Sint Maarten’s aviation authority.
- Lissa Laguerre, originally from Curaçao, who will begin her internship at Saba Airport.
The program’s mission is to expand specialist knowledge in the Caribbean aviation sector by training lawyers, technicians, and operational experts, addressing challenges such as talent shortages and an aging workforce.
Maurits Paauwe, representing the Ministry of IenW, stressed the program’s importance:
“As interns, you contribute to real challenges faced by aviation employers. This directly strengthens aviation in the Caribbean, which is one of our key goals.”
WeConnect’s program manager Pam Evertsz highlighted the collaboration and adaptability of stakeholders as the program’s key success factor. She encouraged the interns, saying:
“You will enter an international work environment where you will learn to collaborate with different people and cultures.”
The relaunch event was attended by the Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten and Aruba’s Cabinet staff, who expressed appreciation for this Kingdom-wide collaboration and wished the new interns success.
The Cari-Aire program is expected to continue building bridges between education and aviation, while preparing the next generation of Caribbean aviation professionals.
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