Latest news with #RobKnight
Business Wire
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
WeFi Technology Group: The Why and How of a Top Internship
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The right internship offers more than workplace exposure. It can become a career incubator in a competitive jobs market. But not all internships are the same. As we celebrate International Youth Day, it's an opportunity to ask: what defines a top-level internship, what can candidates expect, and how do they gain access to such opportunities? Finance fintech WeFi Technology Group regularly hosts interns across its offices in the United States, Switzerland, and South Africa. As a business that combines human expertise and digital excellence, WeFi operates both at the cutting edge of technology and applies the rigour and standards that are expected by financial services clients. 'From the nuances of regulations to the exciting possibilities of AI agents, WeFi has attracted and supported interns for many years. This success provides insights on what defines a worthwhile internship programme. The foundation is about understanding that both parties must see a benefit,' says Rob Knight, WeFi's Africa and Innovation Managing Director. "Talented people differentiate businesses, and internships are about cultivating talent and giving back to the markets that have supported us. It's great for the inflow of youngsters into the business. Our executive team isn't that young anymore! Our interns help usher in the next wave of talent for us and our industry." WeFi has several pathways for interns. Its flagship is the Nicholas Feinstein Technology Internship Scholarship, devoted to the memory of a WeFi intern who tragically died during a skiing accident. The scholarship collaborates with Nicholas' alma mater, the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), selecting candidates from its recent or upcoming graduates. Three effective internship ingredients This partnership reveals the first crucial ingredient of a worthwhile internship: accountability —the university newspaper publishes stories about the interns and their experiences, holding a mirror up to WeFi and the value it provides. "Interns can't be role fillers. They are here to learn, and we are here to get to know them. To that end, it's important that we support them, such as by giving them diverse exposure and paying them a daily rate so they can cover their living expenses," says Knight. The second crucial point is structure. WeFi's interns follow programmes that expose them to business and technical areas, including planned sprint environments, working with test environments, gaining certifications, and even getting their hands dirty at the bleeding edge with things like developing AI agents. These experiences help the interns appreciate their options and adapt their careers. "When I graduated, my focus was more on a business career. But since being here, I have found it really exciting to build agents. It might change my focus, so I'm excited to see that," said Rufta Atsgeba, a UNC alum currently completing her internship at WeFi's innovation HQ in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Networking is another crucial part of a good internship. WeFi's interns gain incredible exposure to industry professionals and mentors, attend conferences, and have the chance to build lasting relationships. Several of their former interns who went to other opportunities still frequently stay in touch and keep communication channels open. Interns also learn crucial soft skills that help them succeed in competitive enterprise roles. "We learn a lot of soft skills, and we get to actually work in scrum environments, weekly sprints, and that type of thing, and that's what we're going to be doing in the real world. It's really amazing for us to get this experience," says Ethan Blair, another NCU alum also completing his internship at WeFi's South African offices. Finding a good internship A quality internship is a fantastic boost for someone's career prospects. They learn excellent practical skills and meet valuable contacts. They might get a role at the company, but even if they don't, that experience makes them very appealing to other recruiters. Yet, spaces are limited and competitive, so how does one find such opportunities? One avenue is through a university—for example, WeFi partners with NCU as well as the University of Stellenbosch, where they meet and interview candidates. If that isn't an option, Knight suggests working through industry angles. "Our customers and partners also recommend people for internships, so get to know the people in the industries you want to enter. Show an interest in what they do. Treat them to a coffee for a bit of their time and build a rapport. Take what you want to do seriously, and others will take it seriously as well."
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Customers relieved, for now, as gas prices fall at B.C. pumps after death of the carbon tax
British Columbians got some relief at the gas pumps on Tuesday as prices tumbled overnight after the consumer carbon tax was eliminated in a marathon legislative session. Several Vancouver gas stations had the price for regular gasoline at $1.72 per litre on Tuesday morning, down about 20 cents from Monday, when prices were nearing $2. By midday, showed most gas stations in the city had regular gasoline at between $1.71 and $1.78 a litre. The cheapest gas in Metro was in Aldergrove, at $1.66. Josh Edwards had been biding his time, waiting for the end of the carbon tax before filling up his Volvo sedan at the Chevron station on Main Street and East 12th Avenue. He welcomed the end of the unpopular tax, even though he was skeptical whether the savings would last long. 'It's good if they actually gave the savings back to the people,' he said. 'I hope so.' He's noticed the steady rise of gas prices over the last week, jumping to about $1.96 on Monday and taking a bite of the savings that kicked in because of the repeal of the tax. 'Early last week, we were pretty close in price, and I saw it jump up until yesterday.' He doesn't know what accounted for those increases, but said, 'it's a little strange, if you ask me.' Several drivers at the gas station also commented on the run-up in price. 'I guess they have to make a few bucks,' said Rob Knight, who likes to fill up in Vancouver rather than Bowen Island, where he lives part-time, because gas there is more expensive. He didn't mind the carbon tax, even though he might not have got the same amount back in carbon tax rebates issued by the B.C. government. 'I don't think people understood it,' he said of the tax, which the Conservative parties in B.C. and Ottawa pledged to axe long before the B.C. NDP and federal Liberals acted to remove it. 'It's getting cancelled for political reasons.' The NDP government fast-tracked its legislation to kill the tax on Monday, in time to coincide with today's demise of the federal version of the tax. The B.C. law, introduced Monday morning, got final approval at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. The tax had been in place since 2008, when B.C. became the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce a broad-based carbon levy. Premier David Eby said Monday that the tax played an important role for many years, but it became 'toxic' as a result of campaigns by the B.C. and federal Conservative parties. He told reporters he expected British Columbians to save 17 cents a litre starting Tuesday, and warned oil and gas companies that the tax repeal should be reflected in the prices at the pump. 'Now is not a time to be playing games with essentials for British Columbians or Canadians as a whole,' said Eby on Monday. Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at gas tracking site said Tuesday he expects relief in the order of 15 cents a litre at the pumps, accounting for other factors that affect the price. 'Gas prices move for many different reasons all at the same time,' he said, pointing to spring refinery maintenance, refineries switching to making summer grade fuel, and increased demand as the weather warms. A refinery fire in Northern California in February also pinched the market all along the west coasts of Canada and the U.S., said De Haan. 'Unfortunately there are some abnormal circumstances happening there preventing this 17.6 cent rollback from being visible' in B.C., he said. De Haan is expecting the cost of diesel to come down by more than 20 cents a litre, which should have positive ripple effects on the overall economy as it lowers costs for truck drivers, farmers and other users of that fuel. GasBuddy had the national average for a litre of regular unleaded gasoline at $1.52 a¢¢ litre, a drop of 3.1 cents, around midday Tuesday. But De Haan said that data tends to lag what stations are actually posting as price reports from volunteers come in. The GasBuddy system may also need time to validate such a big drop. One of Prime Minister Mark Carney's first actions when he took office last month was to do away with the federal consumer carbon charge, which had previously been set at $80 per tonne — an amount that has increased yearly since it was first imposed in 2019. For Vhea Balbin, who was filling up in Vancouver after school, the price at the pump — about $1.70 a litre for regular — came as a pleasant surprise. She wasn't aware of the carbon tax repeal, she said, but was happy to see the price drop. 'I'm glad it's cheaper today. I don't know if there's any cons to that.' chchan@ With files from The Canadian Press Cross-border travel from B.C. to Washington state plummets B.C. ends its carbon tax on consumers after marathon debate in legislature
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Space Station Is Too Clean and It's Making Astronauts Sick, Study Says
The International Space Station may be making astronauts sick, according to a new study. Astronauts inside the ISS are known for developing rashes, unusual allergies and fungal or bacterial infections. But why is that? A February study published in the journal Cell suggests it is because the station is too clean. Life on Earth is obviously very different than in space. The space station cultivates an environment that is devoid of the beneficial microbes found on Earth, according to the study. The lack of microbial exposure has been linked to chronic inflammatory diseases and can "exacerbate inflammatory responses to otherwise innocuous agents." The research involved collecting 803 samples from various surfaces of the orbiter, including "lockers, drawers, and structures." Related: Dolphins Surround SpaceX Capsule After Ocean Splashdown as NASA Astronauts Return to Earth: Watch! "By placing the ISS in the context of thousands of samples from various built and natural environments, we revealed a striking loss of microbial diversity, positioning the ISS at the extreme end of a gradient from open-air habitats like rainforests to controlled, enclosed environments dominated by human inputs," the study found. Ultimately, the study argued that space stations, and other built environments, could benefit from "intentionally fostering diverse microbial communities resembling Earth's natural exposures instead of relying on highly sanitized spaces." Rob Knight, co-author of the study and director of the Center for Microbiome Innovation at the University of California, San Diego, emphasized the importance of microbial diversity while speaking to The Wall Street Journal. "Your immune system needs exposure to a wide range of beneficial microbes from places like soil, healthy animals and healthy plants," he said. However, astronaut and microbiologist Kathleen Rubins, another co-author of the study, told the outlet that "we probably need to bring a little more of the outdoors inside," but it would have to be done "safely so we don't have fungal overgrowth or anything pathogenic." Related: Is Our Universe Inside a Black Hole? New Research Says It Could Be Possible Speaking to Australia's ABC News, Knight said the study noted that the space station had an influx of specific microbes associated with poor health. "Our data suggest that it has too few kinds of microbes overall and too many of the specific kinds that can be associated with poor health in humans," he said. In addition to the ailments detailed above, visitors to space are at higher risk for loss of bone density and strength in the hip and spine because of the lack of gravity, according to NASA. Astronauts can lose up to 1% to 2% of bone density every month, and they are then more at risk of bone fracture and risk of early-onset osteoporosis because of spaceflight. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The lack of gravity in space can also cause muscle waste, in areas like the arms, legs and even the heart because it doesn't have to pump blood against gravity, The Guardian reported. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How microbes from Earth can help astronauts adapt to long-term space missions
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astronauts living in isolated, sanitized space habitats for long periods of time could stay healthier by being exposed to a greater variety of microbes from Earth, according to a new study. "Sterile environments are not in fact the safest environments," study co-author Rob Knight, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, told "Exposure to beneficial microbes in the environment is important for maintaining health — this is not surprising because, as humans, we have coevolved with those environmental microbes for millions of years." Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) face unique stressors that impact their bodily functions. These include exposure to microgravity and radiation that affect their immune responses; a human body with a healthy immune system needs to work harder in space to overcome the same infection that'd be relatively easier to fight off on Earth, according to NASA research. Previous studies have attributed persistent medical conditions astronauts on the ISS have reported, such as skin rashes, cold sores and some atypical allergies, to their altered immune systems. With this in mind, a new study produced by Knight and his colleagues suggests that it's possible to boost astronauts' immune systems and overall health — without compromising their hygiene — by intentionally introducing diverse communities of microbes from soil and water that have coexisted with humans for millennia. The team's findings are based on an analysis of 803 surface samples swabbed across the U.S. portion of the ISS, resulting in the largest dataset illustrating the habitat's microbial and chemical landscape. The results showed the presence of microbial communities were largely specific to their environments; for example, microbes from food were prevalent in dining and food storage areas, while fecal-associated microbes were more abundant in the Waste and Hygiene Compartment, aka the space toilet. Comparing those samples to thousands of samples collected here on Earth showed the ubiquity of chemicals throughout the ISS that come from cleaning products and disinfectants, similar to industrialized, isolated spaces on our planet like hospitals and urban homes. Overall, the survey reflects a loss of microbial diversity on the highly-sanitized ISS, which is a notable concern and marks the station suboptimal in supporting the astronauts' immune functions. "We hope the impact of this research will be to guide future studies that keep astronauts healthy during extended space travel and in colonizing space," Knight said. Related Stories: — Musk and Trump repeat false 'stranded' Starliner astronauts narrative, but they are not stranded — Paralympian John McFall could become 1st astronaut with a disability on ISS — NASA astronaut Suni Williams sets new record on 5.5-hour spacewalk outside ISS (video) Before introducing new microbes to the ISS environment — such as those from Earth's soil and water — scientists must assess whether microbes that are typically harmless to human health could become harmful in space. This potential risk may arise from reduced microbial diversity or increased mutation rates triggered by radiation, Knight noted: "These factors can be tested on Earth before proceeding to costly space experiments." The study was published on Wednesday (Feb. 27) in the journal Cell.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The International Space Station is too clean, scientists say
The International Space Station may be too sterile – and the astronauts on board could benefit from it being a little dirtier, according to a new study. When astronauts spend time on the ISS, they often experience immune problems, skin disorders and other conditions. That could be because the station has a much less diverse array of microbes than on Earth, a new study suggests. Those microbes that are around tend to have been carried there by humans. As such, there might be some benefit from astronauts 'dirtying' the space station with more microbes from nature, researchers suggest. They compared it to the benefits found in gardening, which has been well-demonstrated to boost the immune system of those people who do it. 'There's a big difference between exposure to healthy soil from gardening versus stewing in our own filth, which is kind of what happens if we're in a strictly enclosed environment with no ongoing input of those healthy sources of microbes from the outside,' said Rob Knight, from UC San Diego, in a statement. In the study, scientists worked with astronauts to swab 803 different surfaces on the space station. That is about 100 times more than the samples that have been taken in previous similar surveys. Researchers then created 3D maps that showed where the swabs were taken, what microbes they showed, and how they could be interacting with the chemicals found there. Most of the microbes came from human skin, they found. Cleaning chemicals were also found throughout the station. They found that the collection of microbes tended to be much less diverse than Earth, and were most similar to other highly sterile environments, such as hospitals. The work is described in a new paper, 'The International Space Station Has a Unique and Extreme Microbial and Chemical Environment Driven by Use Patterns', published in the journal Cell.
