Major companies have won concessions from Government under the Incentives for Job Makers Act, according to Premier and Finance Minister Paula Cox.Seven companies have been awarded exemptions from work permits for senior executives, in return for “the commitment they have to recruiting, developing and promoting their Bermudian staff”, she said.A further three are preparing to apply for deals under the Act, which was put in place at the start of this year.Asked how many permit waivers had been granted for each company, the Premier said: “It depends how many they applied for — the Act allows up to five.”Choosing to leave the successful candidates nameless, Ms Cox profiled their corporate structures and said they were businesses with global presence that had each committed to remain on the Island “for the long haul”.Asked where the Act had created jobs, the Premier said it was also necessary to preserve and retain jobs for Bermudians during a recession.Applicants were subjected to independent review of their employment practices, though the Departments of Immigration, and Labour and Training, as well as the Human Rights Commission, the Bermuda Monetary Authority and the Registrar of Companies.Ms Cox also said “strategic partnering with the private sector” was underway to implement the Job Corps programme, and that a building had been chosen for the initiative.