A total of nine people have graduated from a programme designed to prepare participants for a career in the marine industry.

The seven-week Endeavour Maritime Career Springboard Programme provides skills development, job readiness, and vocational training for young people aged 16 and up.

Jeremiah Samuels, 18, one of the graduates, said: “The programme has completely opened my mind up as I was not considering positions in the maritime field before.

“I have found working in and around the water to be a real passion of mine and I would like to continue on the path that this programme has started me on.”

Tristan Loescher, the manager of the programme, added: “We’re proud of their achievements. They demonstrated a great deal of commitment during the programme.

“It’s incredible to see the camaraderie develop as they do not know each other on the first day of the programme, but they build trust and confidence as they work together and leverage their individual strengths to support each other along the way.”

Mr Loescher added: “They have worked tirelessly toward their goals and we’re thrilled for their exciting futures ahead as they leave the programme with new skills, qualifications, and a new group of supporters.”

The 2020 graduates, aged 16 to 35, were congratulated at a ceremony where Jason Hayward, the Minister of Labour, presented them with Royal Yachting Association certificates.

Mr Hayward said: “This was an awesome opportunity for participants to not only gain insight into the possibilities of maritime careers but also to build new skill sets and increase their overall capacity.”

He added: “I would like to thank the Endeavour team and the other participating organisations for their commitment to enriching the lives of our youth.

“The Ministry of Labour looks forward to working with Endeavour in the future to encourage more Bermudians to pursue maritime career opportunities.

“I encourage other young persons to take advantage of the transformational experience this programme has to offer.”

The course is a partnership between Endeavour Community Sailing, a registered charity, and the Bermuda College Professional and Career Education division.

About 30 young people have graduated from the programme in the last three years.

A spokeswoman for the programme said participants reported that they had increased their confidence and awareness of maritime opportunities.

She said customised training sessions focused on each participant’s learning style to improve their skills and knowledge.

She added that no previous sailing experience was required.

Tom Harcombe, the programme manager at Endeavour, said: “It’s fantastic to see the transformation of each participant from their first day to the final day of the programme.

“Many of the participants started the programme with limited or no sailing experience, but they emerged with the skills and knowledge to teach sailing fundamentals to others aligning with Royal Yachting Association standards.”

He added: “We wish them the best with their careers and look forward to seeing what they will achieve in the future.”

The programme combines classroom theory sessions aligned with the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) syllabus complemented by practical on-water sessions on boats including the RS Quest.

Endeavour’s team of instructors carry out most of the training at the Endeavour West Fort in Dockyard.

RYA coach assessors assess each participant’s competency across a series of internationally-recognised qualifications such as RYA Sailing Level 1 and 2, RYA Powerboat Level 2, RYA Seamanship, RYA Essential Navigation, RYA First Aid, RYA Safe & Fun Safeguarding, RYA Marine Radio Short Range Certificate (SRC), and RYA Dinghy Instructor.

The spokeswoman said participants developed skills including teamwork, communication, presentation and problem solving as they completed the sailing and powerboating courses.

She added the students also learn the best ways to improve their CVs and get interviews, as well take career planning workshops.

Tia Tankard, the community engagement coordinator at Endeavour, said the programme was grateful to the organisations and presenters who supported this year’s programme.

Candidates interested in the 2021 programme, scheduled to start next January, should submit a CV and cover letter to education@endeavour.bm by November 12.

An information session about the programme will be held at 6pm on October 22 at a location to be determined.

Anyone Interested in the session should e-mail education@endeavour.bm for more details.

The programme said it was grateful for the support of lead sponsor, Orbis Investments, as well as to the Bank of Bermuda Foundation for its support of a financial aid package for students who required it.

For more about the programme, see www.endeavour.bm or the video here.