Bermuda College has hit back at allegations that its electrical wiring programme is below par.

President Dr. Duranda Greene defended the reputation of the course and college yesterday in the face of accusations that some students were not getting the practical lab experience needed.

She said: "We owe it to our current and former students to respond as their credentials have been put into question publicly. We would also like to take this opportunity to assure our graduates and students that their qualifications are valid and that all requirements for the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee programme have always been met."

Dr. Greene was joined at a press conference yesterday by Llewellyn Trott, Associate Vice President for Technical Education, and Craig Laws, a graduate of the programme who is also chairman of the National Training Board's Electrical Occupational Advisory Committee.

Mr. Laws, now part-owner and manager of an electrical company, said he found the accusations that students were not receiving the proper training as "offensive". "It is an attack on our credentials and the effort we have put in," he said.

Dr. Greene said the concerns of Michael Stowe, National Training Board executive officer, on the quality of lab training were unfounded.

She described them as "personal comments and not of the National Training Board".

The National Training Board co-sponsors the course with partners in the electrical wiring industry.

Mr. Stowe told The Royal Gazette on Thursday that industry members had raised concerns about whether students were getting enough laboratory training sessions. "That needs our immediate attention," he said, adding that the NTB was to investigate the college programme.

A source also questioned the validity of qualifications of recent graduates, telling : "There have been three classes that have graduated since 2004 that have not had the practical experience that they should have had."

Another caller, who wished to remain anonymous, said the lab was finished in 2006 but "still does not have all of the required equipment for all lab work to be completed". The source claimed: "Students were graduated without lab time before this was even constructed. This is very dangerous."

Yesterday however, Dr. Greene said that not only did the lab meet all requirements, but each student on its Electrical Wiring programme completed 1,000 hours of training before undergoing another 8,000 practical hours in the workplace.

She said members of the NTB and the electrical industry had toured the college on Friday.

Dr. Greene said: "The claims that the training lab is 'not up to scratch' as quoted in the article and believed to be true by the National Training Board, thus warranting an 'investigation', are in fact, the personal comments of Mr. Stowe and not of the National Training Board.

"Despite making such statement, Mr. Stowe has admitted that he has not been to see the labs recently, and had not seen the upgrades prior to Friday's tour.

"There is no investigation being undertaken by the NTB's Occupational Advisory Committee for Electrical Wiring. The Electrical Wiring programme at Bermuda College is sound. To quote Mr. Stowe's comments during the tour of the facilities, 'What you've got here is good!'

"The Electrical Wiring apprenticeship programme at Bermuda College meets the training standards of the accrediting NJATC, which requires 1,000 hours of rigorous training at an educational facility and 8,000 hours of practical, on-the-job training in industry."

She said: "The electrical laboratory facilities were not ideal when the programme started some seven years ago but adequate lab equipment has always been available to students.

"Four of the five years of the apprenticeship programme require practical labs that have been conducted at the Bermuda College since the inception of the programme. The fifth year does not require practical labs."

Dr. Greene said the representatives at Friday's meeting vowed that industry and the Occupational Advisory Committee would ensure the programme met industry requirements, such as the number of hours per college classes. The college would also assist apprentices at smaller companies to get their 8,000 on-the-job training hours by bringing in additional equipment.

Dr. Greene said: "Bermuda College is committed to its mission of 'setting Bermuda's students on the Paths to Success'. As an instructional institution, we will continue to fulfill our mandate by being responsive to the needs of its various stakeholders; providing a quality education in optimal facilities.

"In order for our technical education to remain current, we need a collaborative relationship between Bermuda College, the National Training Board and the full support of industry. We trust that this can be accomplished going forward."

Dr. Greene added that graduates of Bermuda College were certified by the National (US) Electrical Contractors Association and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Students not only use transformer trainers and motor control trainers in the lab, but have access to a state-of-the-art instrumentation trainer.