Students from Mount Saint Agnes will now be able to take college-level courses while still at high school.

The announcement was made yesterday at the Bermuda College. President Charles Green said the students would be able to take culinary arts courses two afternoons a week.

In January the college is hoping to offer MSA students technical trades and administrative college credits as well.

Dr. Green said it had been the aim for the last two years to provide dual enrolment at the college to private high schools across the Island.

Public high schools have already availed themselves of the offer, though there has not been a public high school student at the college in the past two years.

MSA principal, Jim Silcott, said his school was excited for the partnership and that the demand for the culinary arts classes had already outstripped the number of places available.

"We are appreciative of the Bermuda College's efforts to reach out to our students and to offer them expanded opportunities in their education," he said.

"We look forward to a long partnership. It's a tremendous opportunity for our students to expand their learning.

"We have revamped our high school curriculum recently to ensure that students get a chance to do what they would like to, not just traditional classes."

He said the culinary arts courses were a perfect fit because they would allow students to study something that has a viable career in Bermuda. He added that by September 2007 he hoped that they were able to offer students academic courses at the college as well so that they could get a jump start on fulfilling college requirements while still finishing high school. Though MSA will be the first school to participate in the dual enrolment every private high school is welcome to do so.

Dr. Green added that even if a school didn't sign up individual students could contact the college to see if they could avail of themselves of the opportunity. Students currently being admitted are over 16 and in Grade 11 or 12.

The chairperson of the division of business administration and hospitality, Gina Graham, said that the college was fully equipped for the new students. She said that the kitchens had been revamped in the last year and praised the decision to allow students to "preview" a career that is currently in demand in Bermuda.

She added that they will be learning kitchen safety, nutrition, hygiene, knife handling, cooking methods and techniques. They will also learn to prepare various appetisers, main courses and desserts.

Dr. Green said there were many benefits to the dual enrolment programme because students could get prerequisites out of the way at a much lower price before heading abroad to further their education

"As a community college we are much less expensive than any other post secondary institution in the world," he said.

"It makes sense for Bermudians to take every course they can here.

"We may not be all things to all people but we would like to be all that we can be."