arrangement between John Kyle of Gateway Systems Ltd. and a recruitment firm in the UK.

Mr. Kyle, recognising the shortage of information technology (IT) specialists on the Island, has partnered with the Melville Craig Group in Scotland, to provide temporary IT professionals for local customers.

"Our success in recruiting first class IT personnel from this company, when we cannot find Bermudians to fill the positions, has made the next step to offering some of these services to our client base, a logical one,'' he said.

The move can prove a great cost savings to companies who have to recruit IT personnel to implement a new computer system. Due to the shortage of IT staff locally, companies are often forced to bring in people from overseas paying for everything including airfare, accommodation and meals in addition to their professional fee.

The service being offered through Gateway will allow companies to hire IT specialists in much the same way as secretarial temps.

"We can provide staff for short contracts with the necessary experience and skill-set to augment existing IT departments and get the project completed on time,'' Mr. Kyle said.

The Scottish recruitment firm, Melville Craig, is on the Island this week presenting a corporate overview of the services that can be provided locally.