GraceKennedy opens applications for Birthright '27 diaspora internship programme
Four second or third-generation Jamaican university students from the US, Canada and the UK will be chosen for the six-week, all-expenses-paid programme.
KINGSTON, Jamaica. GraceKennedy Limited, the Kingston-headquartered food and financial services group, is inviting second and third-generation Jamaicans in the diaspora to apply for its Birthright Programme.
The company said on Monday, September 14, that the all-expenses-paid, six-week programme combines internships within its Jamaican operations with "immersive cultural experiences across the island".
"If you are a university student and are looking to connect with your Jamaican heritage while gaining valuable professional experience, GraceKennedy could be looking for you," the company said.
Since the programme began in 2004, more than 60 young people from the Jamaican diaspora have taken part, the company said.
"Like coming home"
Kyrah McIntosh of Liverpool Hope University in the UK, a 2025 participant, said the experience gave her valuable professional experience, but what stood out most was experiencing Jamaica first-hand through its people, culture and history.
"It helped me connect with my heritage in a way I never had before, and for the first time, it truly felt like coming home," she said.
GraceKennedy chief executive Frank James said: "This is more than an internship. It's an opportunity to discover where you come from while shaping your future."
Four places
James said four candidates will be selected for the 2027 programme: two from the United States, one from Canada and one from the United Kingdom.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to in-person interviews in Miami, New York, Toronto and London in spring 2027, with successful candidates announced before the programme begins in June.
Applicants must be second or third-generation Jamaicans aged 18 to 25 and enrolled at a university in the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom.
The 2025 cohort also included Abigail Ralph of McGill University, Lauren Roach of the University of Miami and Josiah Royes of Hofstra University. The 2026 programme was postponed because of Hurricane Melissa, the company said.
Applications opened on September 1 and close on November 30, 2026.
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