Regiment soldier Wolette Darrell has been given the chance to have her college expenses paid for through a collaboration with the National Training Board (NTB) and the Bermuda Regiment.

The programme has successfully helped 15 soldiers such as Ms Darrell, who was accepted to Compu College in Halifax, Nova Scotia and given the full tuition funding to pursue executive assistant studies.

The initiative began last March and is running as a project but because the programme has been successful, with NTB approval the Regiment hopes it will be given programme status.

On Wednesday night seven of the soldiers met with Michael Stowe, executive director of NTB, to be recognised for their achievements.

The NTB provides Regiment members with technical training, funding, career help and advice.

The collaboration also ensures that Regiment members have preferential consideration as applicants for all NTB programmes and services.

Currently enrolled in the NTB Chef Apprenticeship programme, Jerl Dill is expected to obtain full chef status in three years.

The NTB also offers a referral programme and soldiers such as Neilson DeGraffe is currently an applicant for the Tynes Bay facility as a process control technician trainee thanks to help from NTB. The Regiment, along with the NTB, hope to help soldiers in the future who are unemployed and skilled, unemployed and unskilled, employed and unskilled or employed and skilled but in need of further assistance.