A course furnishing Bermudians with training in the emerging fintech industry has been taken up by eight people, the Economic Development Department has announced.

The second annual Fintech Education Programme is offered through a partnership between the Ministry of Economy and Labour’s Economic Development Department and ViableEdu, a remote-learning firm.

The course was designed by Chris White, the chief executive of the companies BondCliQ and ViableMkts.

Classes and meetings held between June 12 and tomorrow are aimed at giving participants a deeper understanding of financial markets and their emerging technology.

The students networked with management from local and international fintech firms and collaborated with 40 peers overseas.

They were given theoretical and hands-on training as well as personnel skills from the Department of Workforce Development.

Jason Hayward, the Minister of Economy and Labour, said that training combined with the island’s regulatory framework would position Bermudians to benefit from fintech.

Raymond Jones, the director of the Economic Development Department, said he had witnessed “the transformative power of fintech in bridging the gap between traditional financial services and the digital age”.

“The emergence of fintech has redefined how we think about financial services, paving the way for greater innovation, efficiency and accessibility.”

He called it “an exciting time for Bermuda” as the island builds itself as a regional hub for fintech.

The programme director of ViableEdu, Joel Christenson-Brown, said the firm had partnered with the Bermuda Government to spread financial literacy on the island.

Taking part in the course were Esaiah Lister, Dallas Scott, Melody Bean, Olivia Washington, Owen Millett, Tim Augustus, Zaire Lodge and Trey Simons.

• For details, e-mail the Economic Development Department at edd@gov.bm