The annual Summer Internship Programme (SIP) ended yesterday with students suggesting ways to market local charities.

Twelve students were chosen to be a part of the programme this year, which is run by Ace, Bank of Bermuda and Deloitte. While completing rotations at each of the companies they also completed projects for the Bermuda Sloop Foundation and the Women's Resource Centre.

The objective of the programme is to provide students with a unique learning opportunity that exposes them to the a diversity of jobs available within the international business sector. The companies also aim to instil values of community involvement in the students.

Five of the students focused on how to market the Women's Resource Centre to women aged 18 to 24. The students found that 31 percent of young women do not know about the centre or the services offered there. In order to reach this target demographic the students created a campaign that would educate them. This included posters with "shock value" as well as a radio advert for HOTT 107.5 and advert for ShowOff Magazine. The interns designed and priced the campaign which they calculated would cost the charity $3,966 to implement.

The other group focused on the Bermuda Sloop Programme. They recommended that the charity focus on evaluating students before, during and after voyages as well as linking up with other student orientated groups such as Outward bound to better utilise the various programmers already available on the Island.

Daniel Black, one of the SIP interns, said: "This programme has been extremely helpful. We have really learned a lot and been able to network with some very senior people.

"I think that is what many of us learned the value of networking. It has also shown us a variety of options open to us once we have completed university. It is great to know that there are programmes like the Bank of Bermuda's graduate programme open to young Bermudians."

Kalena Astwood, another SIP student, said: "I think this will help us a lot at school as well. Many university courses require group work and presentations, we have really learned how to manage a project and speak in front of large groups of people. There were also many times where we had to think on our feet when things did not go our way, and that is a great skill to have.

Bill Jack, a partner at Deloitte, said the students had impressed the companies with their thirst for knowledge and commitment to their projects: "This is the sixth year we have done the programme and each year it seems to grow from strength-to-strength."

As well as Daniel and Kalena the other SIP participants were Laura Bolton, Anna Card, Christine Dunkley, Jonathan Faries, Kyle Ferreira, Nejil Forrest, Gladwin Omar Lodge Jr., Kelly-Ann Robinson, Zenika Simons and Marcus Wade.