Seventy per cent of young Bermudians who have completed Endeavour’s maritime career springboard programme have found jobs in the maritime industry, a recent report revealed.

Endeavour partners with the Bermuda College every year to offer this seven-week programme to students aged 16 to 18 who are seeking jobs in the maritime field.

“[This programme] aims to enhance employability skills of young Bermudians while providing the opportunity to achieve internationally recognised qualifications from the Royal Yachting Association,” a statement said.

In addition to enhancing their skills and education in the maritime industry, the programme provides participants the opportunity to build and expand their professional networks.

Jahshon Smith, 16, who graduated from the programme last summer, said: “My knowledge of the marine industry has increased significantly, and I would have never known how many careers and opportunities were available in the maritime industry had I not participated in it.”

Endeavour, which grew out of the 2017 America’s Cup, offers programmes for other age groups as well.

Its middle school programme is aimed at students who are 11 to 12 years old.

Students in this programme are taught about buoyancy, wind power and measurement and the fundamentals of sailing, to name a few.

A recently released report revealed that 89 per cent of students who participated in the BF&M No Limits programme felt more confident overall after participating.

“I believe that the Endeavour middle school programme encouraged students to think outside of the box and made an improvement in their problem-solving skills.

“They are now able to make real-world connections with some of the topics in maths,” Whitney Institute M1 teacher Shar-Dae Whitter said.

Students can hone the skills that they learnt from the middle school programme through Endeavour’s graduate and assistant instructor programmes.

In July and August of last year, 14 high school students from seven different schools earned 525 hours of community service through volunteering as assistant instructors at Endeavour.

Children aged 6 to 18 on the autism spectrum or who have developmental challenges can also benefit from what Endeavour has to offer through its No Limits programme, which it hosts in partnership with BF&M.

“My son tends to be nervous, to think outside of the box and No Limits has helped bring him outside of his shell,” Donna Scraders, mother of programme participant Alwyn, said.

Nine out of 10 parents reported that their children’s communication skills have improved as a result of participating in the BF&M No Limits programme, the report said.

More than 900 students have benefited from Endeavour’s various programmes from September 2020 until August 2021 alone and over 5,000 students have benefited since 2015.

Chairman of Endeavour Tom Miller says: “We are proud of what we have accomplished so far and the measurable impact we are making in our community.”