Concert, the failed joint venture between British Telecom and AT&T, has hired the Island's newest recruitment firm Bermudajobs.com to help find jobs for the staff it employed.

Concert, which employed about 60 people and had luxury offices in the John Swan Building on Victoria Street, was set up two years ago at a cost of $7 billion.

It was supposed to be a telecommunications hub set up to serve multi-national business customers, international carriers and Internet providers, But the venture never really took off.

It reported a loss of $300 million for the first quarter of 2001 and BT said that continuing losses were about $25 million a week.

After months of wrangles between BT and AT&T about how to close the business, in October both principals agreed to close the book on joint venture.

In yesterday's Royal Gazette Bermudajobs.com placed an advertisement stating "Concert Employees Available".

It said: "Bermudajobs.com has been engaged by Concert Global Network Services Ltd to provide outplacement services to employees seeking alternative employment on the Island. For that period we are engaged to provide these services"

The advert also stated that the recruitment agency will not charge any fees in relation to the placement of Concert employees.

A statement from Angela Birk at Bermudajobs.com said: "Like any good corporate citizen in their position, Concert have provided their employees with as much assistance as possible in finding alternative employment. As part of this, Concert engaged Bermudajobs.com to provide outplacement services to all of their Bermuda employees. These services include career counselling session, the identification and pursuit of job opportunities and the provision of a resource centre for candidates to use for such matters as resume creation."

Ms Birk added: "When you have top quality Bermudian staff available for employment, there are a number of companies that are keen to meet with them and even create opportunities just to secure them as employees. We are able to make that initial connection for Concert employees and use our extensive network of contacts to benefit them."

Falling telecommunications prices and operational missteps had plagued the venture from the start.

Continued on Page 27