Government's commitment to retraining has been called into question by a Bermuda College student rejected for funding by both the National Training Board (NTB) and the Training and Employment.

Cecelia Pitt, 50, has signed up for a computer degree but was amazed to be rejected for sponsorship because by the NTB because she is unemployed. She is pushing for a written explanation of this policy but Sarah Carter, secretary to the Executive Director of The National Training Board, confirmed this stance when contacted by The Royal Gazette.

She asked if Ms Pitt was working and then said: "They need to be working."

She advised Ms Pitt to apply to the Training and Employment Department but Ms Pitt said she had been told they will only fund individual courses, not an entire Associate Degree programme.

Ms Carter said the NTB ran apprenticeship programmes where work was combined with schooling. Ms Carter said it was not NTB executive director Michael Stowe's decision about who got funding but it was a matter for the board. Asked why Ms Pitt was not getting funding she said: "Cecelia has a degree."

And she said she couldn't see why Ms Pitt could not pursue a career in the same field as her degree. She said: "Michael Stowe doesn't want to speak to her. She's been here to discuss it."

She said Ms Pitt had not been back in touch with the NTB. She said: "I am sure Mr. Stowe will answer her letter."

Ms Pitt said she had tried 600 employers to get a job without success despite having a degree in arts and science. She said: "I don't understand the logic. If the individual is already unemployed and heading towards being unemployable it would cost the government more in the long run if it did not assist the individual with the resources to make a quick return to independence. The process of re-training and other government policies however has left me wondering if you have to have in order to get."

Training and Employment Services Manager Terry Greene said he would look into Ms Pitt's complaints about funding but refused to comment further.