A programme brought in to improve training and efficiency has helped Bermudianise the workplace, a Government Minister said yesterday.

Terry Lister, Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety, was speaking last week about the Investors in People, Bermuda (IIP) initiative in both the private and public sectors.

Three years ago IIP was incorporated as a Bermuda company and has been embraced by a host of different Government departments and private companies, he said.

And Mr. Lister has taken a keen interest in the scheme as he was Minister of Development and Opportunity when it was introduced.

He said last week while presenting the 2003 IIP Report that it was an initiative "that is already making a positive impact in both Government and private sector work environments".

Investors in People UK was introduced ten years ago in order to provide national ownership of the Investors in People Standard and is today responsible for the standard's promotion, quality assurance and development, he said.

"IIP is the national standard that sets out a level of good practice for training and development of people to achieve business goals," said Mr. Lister.

"The standard provides a national framework for improving business performance and competitiveness through a planned approach to setting and communicating business objectives and developing people to meet these objectives."

IIP, which is a private sector organisation with charitable status, also gets a Government annual grant, Mr. Lister said in a bid that it become "a key factor in facilitating the Government's workforce development plans for Bermuda and Bermudianisation".

Mr. Lister added: "Happily, this proposal won the support of the Cabinet which approved the adoption of the Investors in People International Quality Standard as the National Quality Standard in Bermuda for workforce development."

He said that there were a number of benefits for a private or public sector organisation as a result of participation in the IIP initiative, including improved earnings, productivity, customer satisfaction, improved motivation through greater involvement, personal development and recognition of achievement, reduced costs and wastage, enhanced quality of performance, competitive advantage through improved performance and public recognition.

He said the report, published in June this year, provided a great deal of information about local businesses and Government Departments that had embraced the IIP International Standard as a framework for developing their staff.

"The report details the assessment process and provides information about the role and training of Bermudians to serve as IIP advisers," he added. "The report also offers a number of comments from Bermuda-based client organisations that are being assessed or have been assessed against the IIP standard.

"The pleasing interest in IIP in Bermuda reflects the global tendency to link people's development with the growth and prosperity of the organisation."

He said that IIP organisations in Bermuda make the general observation that that their staffs work harder, are more committed and are more results-oriented because they develop a greater sense of purpose.

"Clearly, therefore, IIP is a welcome addition to the Bermuda landscape," he added