If you're considering a career in a trade, there are some basics that will help you get where you're going.

Make the National Training Board (NTB) your first stop. All you'll need is the motivation or passion for a particular field — choose from the list below — and the necessary technical and vocational training to enter local and international companies in occupations that are in high demand. It is at your fingertips.

The same is true if you are looking to change careers and retrain in a different trade.

National Training Board Apprenticeships:

Air Conditioning/ Refrigeration Technology

Carpentry Technology

Cleaning Services Technician

Electronics Systems Technician

Information Technology

Electrical Wiring

Hairdressing

Horticulture

Industrial Maintenance

Masonry/ Construction

Masonry Applied Technology

Meat Cutting

Motor Vehicle Mechanics Technology

Plumbing Technology

Welding

A number of certifications and qualifications can also be earned through the NTB's non-apprentice programmes. See the website: www.ntb.bm for details.

Apprenticeships usually take four years to complete and unlike a university degree, you earn an income while you learn. To know that you qualify for this type of training, you should meet this simple test.

· A Bermudian, 16 years or older.

· Completed high school.

· Hard working and intelligent.

· Mature and responsible.

· Believe you would be successful in a technical trade.

BELCO is a proponent of the apprenticeship programme; four apprentices recently started a training programme from CedarBridge in July bringing the total number of current active BELCO apprentices to 13. More than 50 have ben trained at BELCO over the years including several long-time employees who graduated from the Dockyard Apprenticeship programme.

Tyrone Pedro, 18, is one new apprentice and has great aspirations. "I wanted to try something new; I was in IT before. "One day I hope to open my own business with what I learn here."

Philip Lewis who also started two months ago says he has always had an interest in electricity. "This programme will help me to achieve my goals over the next four years. "I've learnt a lot already and I really enjoy it." He signed up for the apprenticeship opportunity when BELCO made a presentation at his school.

Foreman of Energy Delivery, Construction, Operations and Maintenance, Stuart Adderley who oversees the trainees, finds the programme valuable for the company. "We've been successful over the years in helping Bermudians become qualified." Daren Vickers and Zeldon Trott are soon to be qualified first class electrical fitters. Mr. Adderley explains, "The programme is designed that if a new apprentice doesn't enjoy a certain field, there are other areas they can move into where they'll build a satisfying career. "We also train mature people who are interested in a career change."

If it is further training you are interested in without committing to a four-year programme, NTB can help you to pursue vocational studies locally or overseas with tuition funding. The programme is called Technical Vocational Educational and Training (TVET). Half of the current TVET recipients are studying overseas.

Those who study locally through the NTB are at Bermuda College or the Chamber of Commerce. All NTB training programmes lead to international certification and accreditation.

Some of the overseas facilities you can attend are:

J.F. Drake State Technical College (www.dstc.cc.al.us) Huntsville, Alabama — health, business and technology.

Hobart Institute of Welding Technology (www.welding.org) Troy, Ohio — welding.

New England Institute of Technology (www.neit.edu) Warwick, Rhode Island — marine technology.

Middlesex Community College (www.middlesex.cc.ma.us) Massachusetts — dental assistants.

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) (www.sait.ab.ca) Calgary, Alberta — wide variety of technical fields with 72 certificates and diploma programmes and three applied degrees.