A group of young Bermudians have formed a support group to help their peers find a path to success in international business.

The members of the group, called Young Bermuda, all in their early- to mid-20s, work in all sections of the Island's financial sector including banking, brokerage, insurance, IT, and accounting.

They have formed the association to act as mentors and advisers to help young Bermudians find a career path in this industry or in other sectors — whether in trades, the hospitality sector or in small business.

Chris Conway, a modelling analyst for Axis Capital, said that while many young Bermudians are taking advantage of opportunities available to them, all of the members recognise that the process of getting established in the workforce is a rite of passage fraught with challenges.

"Although we may not know everything about the industry, we want to offer our resources to help our peers in one way or another," Mr. Conway said.

"If they want to go to lunch with us and talk about their careers we will talk to them about what they want to do.

"We have all gone through that first nerve wracking experience of wondering — will I be able to get a job, do I have a good resume, etc."

The group is looking to become a registered charity within the next year and intend to raise funds to build the organisation's resources to help young Bermudians.

"When I was in the position of trying to find employment and finding what I wanted to do in life, I found it hard that there wasn't many people speak to at my age who had the same hurdles to climb," Jonathan Souza, an accountant of PriceWatersCoopers said.

The organisation is planning to engage in fundraising efforts to offer small education grants and loans to students who are not necessarily A students.

"We are not head-hunters but as an unbiased group we can advise young Bermudians that there are variety of jobs available in the international sector and that they can work as interns to see what areas interest them and get experience or a foot in the door," Mr. Conway said.

Neil Lindo of Capital G said the job market in Bermuda enables young Bermudians to find jobs they have a passion for and not necessarily for monetary benefits.

"You don't necessarily have to have qualifications to work for a company, you can be a summer student and gain experience and that will pay off in the end," Mr. Lindo said.

For more information on Promoting Young Bermuda Group email Young_bermuda@hotmail.com or call Chris Conway at 405-2625.