Bermuda College offers four main courses in technical training: electrical wiring, automotive, plumbing and HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning).

The establishment also offers the Applied Technology Certificate — a general programme geared primarily to high school students, which aims to provide a broad skill base before individual specialisation.

Delroy Musson, chairman of technical education at Bermuda College, said the programmes were intended to be both practical and engaging.

He also revealed the college’s aim to become a Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) hub for the island.

“When we think of technology, a lot of us think of service, but there is also the design and the creative side,” he said.

“We need to get a critical mass of people in Bermuda who are technologically savvy.”

Trescot Wilson, dean of business, hospitality and technical education, agreed that there are “certainly not” enough tradespeople in Bermuda.

“If you look at the job market right now, we’re importing workers in all areas,” he said, adding that the college was trying to help uncertified Bermudian tradespeople to gain their formal qualifications, thereby boosting the local job market.

HVAC lecturer Cannoth Roberts suggested that the modern technical education served to complement rather than provide an alternative to academia.

“I think it’s more difficult to be a technical person nowadays, rather than someone who’s sitting solely on academics,” he said, “because they will have to apply the latter to their work with the former.”