Electricians, auto mechanics and marine pilots will have to get new NTB certificates or face $10,000 fines under legislation tabled in the House of Assembly on Friday.

And veteran tradesmen will be given a temporary certificate until they can get their full certification, TheRoyal Gazette has learned.

Michael Stowe, Executive Officer of the National Training Board said yesterday that "for experienced practitioners we will make an assessment of their current skills by talking to them and inspecting their work sites."

He said that no one with years of job experience would be required to "go through an apprenticeship programme".

Training will commence at the Bermuda College under the authority of the NTB, he said.

The period of training, during which time he said "no one will be economically dislocated" will last from a "minimum of ten days to a maximum of 30 days".

He said that around 20 percent of these days will be spent at the college and 80 percent at the work site.

Acting Minister of Education and Development Walter Lister on Friday tabled the The National Occupational Certification Act 2004, which requires that jobs that are either deemed by the Minister to be essential to the economy or where there is a degree of risk of physical harm to a worker from the improper application of the work, are now "compulsory certification" occupations.

Mr. Lister said: "The purpose of the Bill is to affect the means for our workforce to perform at a higher level of proficiency and competence, especially in occupations deemed to be essential to the economy."

He said that once workers get properly trained, they face less risk of harming themselves or their fellow workers in industrial accidents.

And the National Occupational Certification Programme will highlight jobs where employees require the most training and also regulate the standard of technical competence that workers would need to acquire.

"For example, the occupations will include tradespersons working in electrical technology, motor-vehicle technology, marine piloting, and it will be extended to other occupations," he said.

He said that getting Bermudian workers certified would have the benefits of greater public safety; customer satisfaction and a more competitive workforce.

Once trained at the new standards, Bermuda's workers will be able to find work abroad more easily, be more productive and increase the economic progress of Bermuda, he said.

The bill builds on the measures taken by the National Training Board Act 1997, from which the National Training Board was born.

The NTB seeks to create qualified apprentices for over 60 different occupations and it's mandate is to to ensure "there is an adequate supply of trained manpower in all branches of economic activity in Bermuda" he said.