Classes offered by the Community Education Development Programme are to be shelved at the end of this month, according to Diallo Rabain, the Minister of Education and Workforce Development.

The move came after Mr Rabain informed the House of Assembly in June that enrolment for the community school had dropped, and that the CEDP’s seven staff members would be moved to the Department of Workforce Development on September 1.

An assessment of the community courses offered over the last five years showed fewer people signing up, and that a majority of participants were non-Bermudian.

The CEDP dates back to 1979, and has offered classes ranging from cooking and dance to accounting.

Parliament heard in June that a review, launched in December 2017, had shown that the majority of courses on offer covered sports and leisure.

In a statement, Mr Rabain said that the change would better support “the needs of vulnerable Bermudians”.

CEDP staff will support the department’s career development and training sections, and the Government’s summer internship programme for high-school students will continue under the purview of Workforce Development.

Patricia Chapman, the CEDP executive director, thanked all who supported the programme over the years.