Bermudian scholarship recipients were treated to lunch and were given insight into career possibilities yesterday at the International Companies Education Awards (ICEA) luncheon.

Twenty-four students joined members of the business community to hear guest speaker Derek Smith talk about his organisation and how it provides useful information about careers in Bermuda.

Mr. Smith is the executive director of Bermuda Careers Centre and he welcomed the students to come and use the facilities that provide students with information about employment opportunities, current and future workforce needs, accredited universities or colleges, employment placement assistance and other workforce tools.

"At our organisation we provide a job description database for students to know what they will need when they come back to Bermuda but they're aspirations have to be specific to Bermuda," Mr. Smith said. ICEA has been handing out awards to successful students for the past quarter century.

The 24 students will receive $20,000 for two years of undergraduate study.

Also, scholarship recipient Jasmine Furbert received the Michelle Outerbridge memorial award of $4,000. Ms Outerbridge was an ICEA award recipient in 2000 but just after she began her first academic year at university she died in an accident, Roger Paschke, chairman of the Scholarship Awards Committee said.

During his speech, Mr. Smith instructed the students to do plenty of research before deciding on a career path or before choosing or changing a major and said to make sure that choice of study is applicable to Bermuda.

"Take advantage of every opportunity," Mr. Smith reminded the students.