Some of the Island's leading financial services companies have joined forces with the Bermuda Education Network to offer a new work experience programme to Berkeley Institute students this summer.

The programme offers work experience for pre-College students in a maths-related profession and an opportunity to take GCSE Maths.

The students will gain work experience, and will spend mornings at one of the companies between Monday, July 12 and Friday, July 23.

In the afternoons they will take maths classes with Sandy Darrell, director of maths at The Berkeley Institute. They will continue to have classes on Mondays and Wednesdays during August and revision sessions in September and October - all leading towards taking their maths GCSE examination in November.

In September 2010 the Cambridge Curriculum will be introduced to the Bermuda School system making GCSE Maths, English and Science mandatory for current M3s. Although GCSE maths is not a graduation requirement for current S1s and S2s in Bermuda government schools at the moment, it is a globally recognised qualification and is regarded by many Bermuda financial companies to be the first step on a financial services career path.

The Bermuda Education Network is a non-governmental organisation whose mission is to give every Bermuda student access to excellent education.

The idea of the Maths Springboard is to expose students to maths related professions for two weeks. They will also pick up general "work ready" skills and "office etiquette".

The programme starts with a seminar, to be hosted by PartnerRe, which will introduce the students to Bermuda's financial industry. During their internship, students will spend the morning at their designated company. They will have a one hour lunch break followed by a maths, technology, or "maths career choices" lesson during the afternoon.

Students will be supervised in the office by a mentor. In addition to helping with administrative tasks, students will be expected to complete maths exercises that introduce them to maths concepts used in the profession on a simplified level. The mentor will have conversations with the students and help them to choose a maths-related project.

The programme is open to all S2s at Berkeley and the entrance requirements are simply that the students are prepared to work hard and commit to a summer of mathematics activities and to take the GCSE exam in November.

There are still a limited number of spaces available for the program. Parents who would like to register their children for the program should email beckyandmarcello@ibl.bm