Bermudians yesterday received a glimpse of the jobs that will be available in Government over the next five years.

Hundreds of people -- young and old -- looking for a new or different career flocked to the Number One Shed on Front Street for the Government `95 Career Expo yesterday.

The expo projected job vacancies based on the number of people eligible to retire with a pension, officers who will complete their contracts and department head projections of additional people needed in the next five years.

A "Reality Check'' board, at the entrance of the building, was filled with information about all Government departments.

It listed salaries of various Government positions, careers that Bermudians were studying for overseas and statistics on job availability.

Projected vacancies in the Education Department and Police Service topped the list at 226 and 136, respectively.

Each Government department also had a booth. Throughout the day various department heads gave lectures, explaining the duties of their departments.

Assistant director for Agriculture Mr. Kevin Monkman said, "The department is diverse with all different posts to be filled including wardens, research technicians, and horticultural workers,'' he said.

Education Officer for Language Arts Mrs. Sharon Parris stressed there were many other positions in her department besides teaching, ranging from school psychologists to occupational therapists.

The Education booth featured a paper Christmas tree with various careers written in the bulbs. The booth also had information about highly accredited universities.

"This makes it possible for young people to have a view of the areas and number of positions in the Ministry of Education,'' Mrs. Parris said.

Some of those attending told what they hoped to find.

Ms Karla Phillips, who works in a temporary post in Government, said she had come to the expo to find information to help her make a smooth transaction into a permanent position.

"I think it's good for older adults looking for a career change,'' Mrs.

Pauletta Furbert said. "Most people have no idea where to start, this can give them some options.'' Bermuda College student Miss Julie Fox, who is studying to become a nurse, said she visited the expo because she wanted to find out more about the Health Department.

And Berkeley Institute student Vincent Richardson attended to find out what jobs were available in Bermuda.

He added that he found the expo "very helpful'' and that the "attendance was very encouraging''.

Cabinet Secretary Mr. Leopold Mills said, "It is good that people looking for a career, especially senior students in high school and university students, can see the wide variety of jobs available in the Public Service.'' And Personnel Services director Mrs. Judith Hall-Bean said she was pleased with the amount of people, especially young people, that had responded to the expo.

She explained the expo was the brainchild of those in Government's Middle Management Development Programme, a one-year programme designed to teach management skills to supervisors.

"The programme covers management areas including team building, supervisory skills, financed management, organisation of Government, and organisation and management skills,'' Mrs. Hall-Bean said.

She added that those in the programme needed to do a final project that would tie all of the topics studied together and they therefore came up with the expo idea and began organising it during the summer.

The benefits of a Government career will also be outlined in a book entitled "Bermuda Occupational Outlook Handbook'' in March.

ALL THAT YOU CAN BE -- Sgt. Maj. Marilyn Steede of the Bermuda Regiment pitches an army career to 15-year-old St. Georges' Secondary Student McKeon Stevens during Government's Career Expo at the Number One Shed.