People enrolled in an employment programme have earned certificates in computing.

Rick Richardson, of the Bermuda Technical Institute Association, approached the Bermuda Housing Corporation a few years ago with an idea for alternative education.

He said: “People who were running the Hustle Truck told us what was happening within the programme and what they wanted to do.

“The Minister of Public Works, David Burch, agreed that the course would be a good addition to what the Hustle Truck tries to achieve — getting people duly employed and looking for a future.”

Hustle stands for Helping the Unemployed Sustain Themselves with Limited Employment and helps unemployed people find jobs.

Five people completed the basic computing course, offered through the Cisco Networking Academy, which taught them how to better use Microsoft and Windows, browse the web and solve common computer problems.

Lieutenant-Colonel Burch presented completion certificates to Noel Bascome, Andre Simmons, Marc Pascoe, Gene-Anne Bean and Jamel Simmons.

Mr Bascome said that the course helped him to become more tech-savvy and he encourages other people to take it.

He said: “The more you know, the easier it is for you and it is always good to learn, because that is the way the world is going.”

The class was the first of its kind run by the Hustle Truck, but other local organisations have voiced an interest in taking it on in the future.