The pick of Bermuda's top students had their first taste of the business world thanks to the 2009 Summer Internship Programme (SIP) put on by Ace Group, the Bank of Bermuda and Deloitte.

The 12 Bermudian university students had exposure to re/insurance, finance and risk management, and assurance and accounting services plus consulting work during their 10-week secondment and worked in two separate teams one day per week on a community service project to promote the Centre for Talented Youth and the Bermuda Junior Service League. They each had the chance to give their presentations at a ceremony held at Ace yesterday. The programme is aimed at providing students with a unique learning opportunity that introduces them to a number of diverse aspects of the international business sector and enables them to be better positioned to make good career choices.

>The marketing exercise, which was designed to encourage team building, leadership skills and civic duty, enabled the students to analyse and report their findings and recommendations on their chosen charity, with Team Infinity, made up of Claire Frith, Risa Hunter, Shae James, Derek Pailing, Donita Stevens and Shannan Swan, working on a campaign for the Centre for Talented Youth, and Team WORK (Willing to Obtain Results and Knowledge), consisting of Adrian Binns, Kennette Burgess, Ryan Cabral, Logan Davis, Chris Parker and Ashleigh Simons, with the Bermuda Junior Service League as their focus.

The event kicked-off with opening remarks by Lauren Mahoney from the Bank of Bermuda, who talked about the programme and its mission to attract the Island's most talented students, with 72 SIP graduates having passed through the scheme already.

Marcus Wade and Kalena Astwood, both 2008 SIP alumni, then soke of their experiences and what the programme offered them in terms of launching their careers in international business.

This was followed by the main presentation from the students, with Stuart McLeod, head of human resources at the Bank of Bermuda, and Jon Clayton, senior learning and development manager at the Bank of Bermuda, talking about what the students had achieved on a personal and professional level and how they had helped not only the charities with the projects they had been working on, but also the companies, some of whom may take on their ideas and concepts in the future.

>Mr. Clayton said: "The success of this programme is exemplified by the commitment and determination of everyone involved. Every facet of the SIP experience teaches a lesson and broadens our knowledge.

"There is no doubt that the students involved in the 2009 programme have gained experiences from this summer that will enrich their future plans in both their education and career. The organisers and partner companies will also take lessons from this year to further improve upon the 2010 programme."

Denise Riviere and Mr. Binns then gave an review of the summer work conducted by the students as a whole, followed by the presentation of certificates by Rees Fletcher, president and CEO of Ace Bermuda, Mr. McLeod and David Mutch, of Deloitte.<\p>

Mr. Fletcher said: "The premise of the SIP is to provide promising students with projects that will both engage and provide them with a glimpse into how these companies operate. This is always a tall task for a two-week rotation and this year was no exception.

"The results of not only the community presentations, but their three rotation projects continue to be impressive. We extend our thanks to the 12 interns for their creativity, energy and thoughtful recommendations. The understanding of the research, analysis, reporting and presentation processes that the interns learned during their work experience proved beneficial - as I am sure that you will all agree from today's comprehensive presentations."