The Progressive Labour Party applauded a joint initiative between the Bank of Bermuda and the Bermuda College.

And Shadow Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Alex Scott noted the contrast between the relocation of the bank's International Banking School to the Paget institution and "the abortive Waiters' Training Programme''.

The announcement that Bank of Bermuda would relocate part of its International Banking School to the Bermuda College's Stonington Campus in June came at the end of last month.

The move will seal a partnership that will allow the bank to extend its initiative in training staff to international standards while enhancing the college's reputation as an international training centre.

Meanwhile a training programme for waiters at the college has apparently received little support or cooperation from Labour and Training support staff.

Mr. Scott said: "In contrast to the concerns over the abortive Waiters' Training Programme, these two events open up an entirely new era of growth and development for both Bermudians and the Bermudian economy.

"This move speaks directly to the challenge of drawing more and more Bermudians into the lucrative but competitive world of international business.

"However, the potential of this development reaches far beyond the international business sphere of the economy.'' Mr. Scott said the recent developments directed at the further training of Bermudians were impressive and encouraging.

He commended the Bank of Bermuda and the college's vice president of academic and student affairs Dr. Donald Peters and Brian Hall, the chairman of its Board of Governors, for their respective stands and initiative toward fostering a working partnership between the college and the business community.

Further announcements are expected as the College establishes other partnerships with local and international institutions based locally, something Mr. Hall has called for since becoming chairman of the college.

"The Shadow Minister has continually maintained that the ideal of training Bermudians and drawing them into the economy must be achieved through a cooperative effort between the Government and the private sector,'' noted Mr.

Scott.

He turned to reports that Government's training programme was in disarray according to a report on the waiters' training programme.

"It has come to our attention that there are such allegations levelled at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Public Safety in the report on the Waiters' Training Programme Bermuda College.

"The report states that there was a `lack of support and very little cooperation ... received from the Labour and Training support staff regarding this programme'.'' BERMUDA COLLEGE EDC BANK OF BERMUDA BUC