Two government trainee civil engineers have been working on the America’s Cup South Basin site to gain experience in the private sector.

Ricardo Graham-Ward and Allanette Hayward have completed three-month internships at the site with BCM McAlpine as they strive towards accreditation as chartered engineers.

Public works minister Craig Cannonier visited the South Basin to meet them last week.

In a press release from the Bermuda Government, Mr Graham-Ward said: “Working with BCM McAlpine on the Cross Island land reclamation project was a great experience that provided me with insight into the various facets of project management and site engineering.

“I was involved in a wide range of tasks, including site supervision, project management and setting out.

“The knowledge I gained from working alongside the project manager and construction superintendents allowed me to develop and improve upon the skills necessary to become a successful engineer.

“I intend to implement the knowledge gained in construction methods into my future structural designs to ensure that best practice is met and that thorough designs are produced.

“I would definitely recommend similar secondments to other trainees. The knowledge you gain is fundamental and definitely useful when working towards becoming a chartered engineer.”

Larry Sticca, training co-ordinator at the Ministry of Public Works, stated: “It was a one-off opportunity that the trainees could learn a lot from, under the supervision of a private, experienced contractor.

“The evaluation reports for both trainees have come back and they were very favourable and highly complimentary.”

BCM McAlpine’s project manager, Richard Noel, said: “BCM McAlpine were very pleased to assist in providing site experience for two local trainee civil engineers on this unique project and hope that the experience gained assists them in their professional development and leads to a successful career in construction.”