Graduates of a government summer internship programme were recognised yesterday for their hard work and dedication in the field of power engineering.Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, congratulated Marcal Wilkinson, Hezekiah Rampersad, Sekai Wainwright-Basden and Ayana Bean, who completed the power engineering trainee programme, in a special event at the General Post Office in Hamilton.Ms Bean received a special mention as the first woman power engineering trainee to enter the programme since it started more than ten years ago.She graduated from Bermuda College in 2016 with an associate of arts degree. She went back to the college again to complete the needed science courses for acceptance into Cambrian College in Ontario, Canada, on an engineering-based course.Ms Bean said she had enjoyed the programme and it had broadened her horizons.She added: “I got the opportunity to work at Tynes Bay and I have learnt so much just being able to go in and work with these guys who have been amazing in helping me to understand how everything works. I want to say thank you for this opportunity.”All of the students thanked staff in the Ministry of Public Works and the Department of Workforce Development for their work on the programme.Mr Rampersad graduated from the Bermuda College technical programme in 2017 and joined the government scheme in 2019. He has now completed his first year at Cambrian College, studying applied arts and technology. Mr Rampersad said he had enjoyed many opportunities as a result of the programme, including meeting chief engineers from all over Ontario. He added: “This year was full of experiences.”He is looking forward to mentoring future students on the scheme. Mr Rampersad said: “We will look out for them and we will support them.”Mr Wilkinson also graduated from the Bermuda College technical programme in 2017 and joined the government training programme last year. He has also finished his first year at Cambrian College studying applied arts and technology, and thanked the many people who helped him, including the upgrades and maintenance personnel at the Tyne’s Bay Incinerator. Mr Wainwright-Basden was selected for the power engineering programme in 2019, but was already on track to complete his associate degree in fleet management at the New England Institute of Technology. He has a background in diesel mechanics through training at Belco and expressed a keen interest in power plant operations.The Government introduced him to the field of power engineering in collaboration with Belco and he is due to start at Cambrian College in September.Mr Wainwright-Basden told everyone who had helped him achieve his dream: “Thanks for pushing me and allowing me to explore my range of talents, skills and abilities and allowing me to work alongside the maintenance team in conjunction with the upgraders in the power engineering field. “I want to come back and be a better engineer and upgrader so I can make Bermuda a better place.”Ricardo Graham-Ward, the project manager for the Department of Works and Engineering, was also a student on the Government’s engineering programme in 2010 and is now a chartered civil engineer and a member of Britain’s Institution of Civil Engineers.He said: “I would like to thank the Bermuda Government for the training programme. They put a lot of faith in me even quite early on. “They gave me key roles in projects such as project engineer or project manager and by having such significant roles early on in my career I was able to fast track the experience I needed to become a chartered civil engineer.”