A new programme will be launched next month to help women achieve their career and personal goals.The Leadership Academy of Bermuda will offer an eight-month course to assist women at the “grassroots level” through skills such as effective communication and problem-solving.It will be launched on Saturday, October 22, and is free of charge to participants.According to co-director and programme director of the academy Deborah Bradford, women “in the trenches” may feel they have not tapped into their natural ability, and may be uncomfortable expressing their ideas, “yet they are often the ones in the best position to make critical decisions”.She said the academy aims to help those who are “in a career limbo, who have started a degree but because of life circumstances have been unable to finish it or who want to make changes in their lives, but do not know how to utilise their skill sets”.She added: “The Leadership Academy encourages leadership at all levels of society by creating a culture which rewards independent thinking, supports ideas with resources and provides an opportunity to develop initiatives that would enhance the community or their organisations.”Co-director of the academy Patrice Frith Hayward added: “Many young ladies don’t realise their potential, and this will be a way of bringing out their potential as leaders. We all have that ability; we just need nurturing. Women of all ages that participate in the programme will benefit from the academy and all that it has to offer.”Participants will be able to test their new skills through a community project, and will also go on a “journey to self-awareness” overnight retreat as part of the programme.Ms Bradford has a background as an academic advisor in higher education, has taught at York University in Toronto and has graduated from the Leadership Academy for Women at Georgia State University.She is also a court-appointed special advocate for abused and neglected children and was a volunteer board member at the Department of Juvenile Justice in Marietta, Georgia.She collaborated with Mrs Frith Hayward, who is a teacher of professional development, author and playwright, to launch the project, which is sponsored by the Bridge Charitable Trust.Ms Bradford explained that the catalysts for the academy included a lack of leadership in females, a lack of self-esteem, unequal pay, a lack of mentorship and increases in domestic and gang violence. She also cited concerns over women being unable to support their families adequately, feeling unable to move forward in the workplace and sometimes ending up incarcerated through crimes of desperation such as acting as drug mules.She said that while other programmes in Bermuda have attempted to eradicate these social ills, no one particular organisation at the grass roots level has addressed leadership issues like the academy will. She hopes the graduates will continue to perpetuate the academy’s vision for developing leaders at all levels, in all communities.“In conversations with various stakeholders and participants from the numerous programmes, the sentiments expressed have been that there are no follow-up institutions in place and people are seeking further direction. Equally, there are individuals from these programmes that have leadership aptitude, yet there is no organisation or academy to fulfill such a need,” she said.The academy is open to women aged 18 or above. The pilot programme will comprise of 13 half-day sessions scheduled every other Saturday, beginning on October 22 from 9am to 12pm. The academy is also seeking volunteers to assist with facilitating the programme, who must be able to commit one hour of their time.Ms Bradford will discuss the project further on Mrs Frith Hayward’s radio show Real Women, Real Talk on Magic 102.7FM at 5.30pm this evening. Interested parties can also e-mail leadershipbda[AT]gmail.com for more information on the academy.