Those looking to shift careers and improve their skills are encouraged to register for the Bermuda College’s new spring programme.

The college’s Athora Professional and Career Education division announced the 2026 course offerings, with more than 50 designed to help Bermudians advance in fast-changing industries.

The college said the professional development and certification courses include its “most in-demand” programme — the Emergency Medical Technician course.

The programme is in-person and one-semester, responding to Bermuda’s growing shortage of emergency medical staff.

“There’s a real demand across Bermuda’s healthcare system for trained EMTs, with many practitioners nearing retirement,” said Tawana Flood, director of Apace.

“This course provides an opportunity for anyone — whether new to the field or looking to retrain — to gain the practical skills and certification needed to step into a critical, high-impact role.”

It said the EMT programme blends classroom instruction with hands-on training in partnership with the Bermuda Hospitals Board and other emergency services.

Graduates are eligible to sit the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians examinations — the benchmark qualification for EMTs in the US and Bermuda.

The college highlighted Ryan Topple, a Bermudian who completed the summer 2021 cohort — the first to run during the height of the pandemic.

Mr Topple said the course offered invaluable clarity and direction, despite the uncertainty of the time.

He added: “It gave me real exposure to patient care and confirmed that this is the field I’m passionate about.”

The programme became a catalyst for the young Bermudian who volunteered with the BHB’s Ambulance Service and earned a position as an EMT after completing his clinical ambulance shifts.

The qualification also strengthened Mr Topple’s involvement with St John Ambulance, where he began mentoring new volunteers.

Mr Topple completed the Advanced EMT course in 2022, which helped support his acceptance into medical school.

The 23-year-old is completing his second year of study at the University of Warwick’s accelerated graduate-entry medicine programme, where he ranked first in his 200-student cohort.

He continues to volunteer with the West Midlands Ambulance Service in England and plans to return to Bermuda as a doctor after completing his training.

The former Saltus student credits the EMT course as a key foundation, and said the Apace programmes were built with working adults in mind.

The college’s average student is over 35, but the courses are also suitable to students aged 18 to 25 looking to earn job credentials while earning their traditional degrees.

For more information, visit www.college.bm.