Twelve Bermudian university students will get the chance to work a stint at three of the Island's international businesses this summer under a scheme aimed at giving locals a head start in their career.

The Summer Internship Programme (SIP), sponsored by insurers Ace, accountancy firm Deloitte and HSBC Bank of Bermuda, is in its fifth year and participants started their ten-week programme yesterday. All 12 will do one rotation at each sponsoring company, where they will be expected to complete a specific project. The programme runs until August 10.

The programme aims to teach participants skills such as teamwork, leadership and responsibility. And as community involvement is considered important for leaders of the future, the programme includes involvement in a community project — which will this year be Crime Stoppers Bermuda.

SIP participants will design a new youth page, targeting the student audience, for the recently launched Crime Stoppers web-site. The interns will be part of focus groups aimed at determining the web-site's needs. They will present their findings to the Crime Stoppers board at the end of the programme period.

Sean Pitcher, chairman of Crime Stoppers Bermuda, said: "Our organisation relies on the participation of the public to ensure a safer Bermuda and we see this project as an opportunity to remind Bermuda's youth that they are an integral part of this community and have an important role to play."

Stuart McLeod, Bank of Bermuda's head of human resources, said: "Developing the knowledge and skill-set of our Island's future business leaders is everyone's responsibility. "This programme offers students an incredible opportunity to learn about the prominent international business sector and to obtain applied learning experience while discovering different possibilities for their future careers."

Deloitte partner Bill Jack said: "We aim to provide them with a balanced view of what the business environment entails, including the requirement to give back to the community in which we work."

Ace Bermuda president and chief executive officer Rees Fletcher said: "We are proud to be part of a programme that recognises, challenges and develops the best talent in Bermuda."

This years SIP participants are: Ryan Brining (Wake Forest University), Melanie Fullerton (Queens University), Ryan Gonsalves (University of Bath),>Jennifer Gracie (School of Oriental and African Studies), Richard Hillen (Wharton School of Business)Casey Lopes (Wilfred Laurier University), Amanda Oliver (Edinburgh University), Samuel Outerbridge (Queens University), Nichole Shaw (Bryant University), Tyler Smith (University of Waterloo), Abigail Soares (Queens University).