Recruitment agency BermudaJOBS has posted two consultants to newly opened London and Toronto offices in a bid to help Bermuda firms source hard-to-get professionals.

The demand is especially high for qualified accountants, information technology personnel and insurance and reinsurance professionals. ?These skill sets are in such short supply ? these are global shortages,? said Malika Taylor, BermudaJOBS general manager.

Ms Taylor told that not only was it difficult to always find the staff needed in the Bermuda market but employers were ?paying astronomical fees? ? in the range of 30 percent an employee?s starting compensation ? to overseas agencies, when hiring abroad.

BermudaJOBS, a division of Bermuda employment services firm Expertise Limited, said its Toronto-based consultant will recruit from around Canada, and another in London, is recruiting in both the UK and Ireland.

Amanda Jennison is the Canada-based consultant, and is focused on recruiting accountants, information-technology professionals and financial services personnel.

Toronto, Halifax, Calgary and Vancouver are the key labour markets where candidates are being looked for.

And Greg Soares, a Bermudian who spent a decade working for the Bank of Bermuda ? including in its London and Hong Kong operations ? is heading up the BermudaJOBS operation for the UK and Ireland.

Mr. Soares is focused on recruiting candidates in London, Dublin, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

BermudaJOBS said it was also restructuring its Bermuda-based team of employment consultants along industry lines. The Financial & Professional Services group, led by Annie Richardson, is focusing on servicing clients in the fund administration, banking, trust, public accounting, and asset management industries.

And the IT & Telecommunications group, led by Angela Birk, is hiring professionals to fill vacancies in all sectors, including within the Island?s technology companies, Internet Service Providers and telecommunications carriers.

Suzanne Rego has oversight for the Insurance & Reinsurance group, with demand to recruit underwriters, actuaries, claims professionals and technical assistantsfor the rapidly expanding Bermuda insurance market.

Reinsurance professionals are currently in high demand, with at least 12 well-capitalised reinsurers currently forming on the Island to take advantage of a rise in reinsurance pricing after costly hurricane Katrina.

The pressure for reinsurance specialists is so high that some executives at established companies have complained to that their employees are being poached by the start-up companies.

The new entrants to the Bermuda market are jointly capitalised with up to $10 billion ? and are eager to be in operation before the pivotal January 1 renewal period.

BermudaJOBS also serves businesses in the hospitality industry, retail sector, and to the trade industry.

The company said it has placed nearly 200 personnel in the last year ? 60 percent of whom were Bermudian.

And Ms Taylor said overseas candidates are only sought in sectors where there is a gross shortages of qualified Bermudians.