opportunity to see the light...the light leading to their future.

First-time apprentices Ryan Hayward, Fanaye Broadbelt, Jarrod Zancanella, and Jevon Grant-Santucci have passed numerous exams given by Belco.

Every year the company accepts two to five students to complete a course which will enable them to return to Belco for a full-time job.

It was not intentional that all the students were chosen from Berkeley. It just so happened that these students had the highest grades after they took their apprenticeship test.

"I became more interested in my physics class when I heard about the programme,'' said Ryan who was also the head boy at the Berkeley Institute for the 1998-1999 school year.

"I like doing this because I am learning and I get work experience. Most students graduate from college without any work experience and struggle to find a job. I have a guaranteed job and work experience.'' Ryan and his peers will be completing a four-year course implemented by Belco.

The first four to six weeks are spent in the training room at Belco where students learn "the basics in electrical crafts and mechanical crafts''.

Trainee Jevon Grant-Santucci has yet to realise the results of his training.

He expected one of his arduous tasks would take a entire week, but his trainer Mr. Richard Spurling told him otherwise.

"It seems hard for them (the students) to realise they can get a lot of work done in a short period of time,'' Mr. Spurling said.

Jevon was working on a cage that will hold small gas containers when completed.

This seemingly gruesome task was just a normal day's activity for the young rookies. Former apprentices have made such things as tables, shelves for cabinets and much more.

"If we don't have it, we make it,'' said Ron Lucas, Senior Manager of Human Resources at Belco.

The students must first design the cage, then work out the measurements, and finally build it.

For the first time Belco has a female apprentice joining the ranks. Fanaye Broadbelt is the first female to ever be a part of this scheme.

"There is nothing stopping a young lady from joining,'' Mr. Lucas pointed out. "Though this year we found a young woman who is actually interested and enthused about this type of work.'' Fanaye and her three comrades will complete the first of four years in England at York College and the students will follow the City & Guilds Basic Engineering Competences.

It is there that the four young Bermudians will meet other apprentices like themselves.

The pupils will receive pay as they go to school to learn.

Their pay is 50 percent of what an employee at Belco doing the same job would receive.

Students spend four days of the week completing hands-on tasks and one day out of every week they will complete theory work.

Each task completed must be put in a log book. At the end of the four years when students are looking for a permanent job at Belco this book will almost act as a resume.

Through this Belco officials will know the students' strengths and weaknesses and assign them to a department accordingly.

Second-year apprentice Justin Decouto recently returned from Yorkshire.

"I had an interest in this stuff since I was young,'' he recalled. "It's a really good opportunity.

"It wasn't just an electrical course. It was sort of like factory work.'' Justin, along with Jason DeRoza, Gabriel Cabrall, and Jason DeSilva returned home on July 6 with an EMTA Certificate of Vertified Achievement in Engineering Manufacture.

. Eighteen-year-old Jason DeRoza said he did not really like the food or the extremely cold weather, but he has made some life-long friendships.

According to the older interns, Yorkshire was nothing like home but they were at least given a family environment to live in.

"We didn't have our parents telling us what to do,'' Jason said. "We had to decide for ourselves. But if we needed anything, the people we lived with were able to help.'' The older recruits have also completed a one-week course in Outward Bound, which also took place in Yorkshire.