In an effort to drum up support for their organisation and help promote Bermudians into more management positions in the business arena, Bermuda Junior Chamber International (JCI) has begun a recruitment drive they hope will help revitalise their local chapter.

Widely known throughout the world as an influential business networking mechanism, JCI - long known in Bermuda as the Jaycees - has lost its strong following in recent years.

But members of the Bermuda chapter are hoping to rebuild their numbers because they say there is a need for members of the workforce to possess stronger professional skills to cope with the ever changing world of business.

And visiting the Island this weekend was vice president of JCI, Debra Adair, to oversee some of the changes that they hope to implement.

She said: "Our job is to be the support mechanism and liaison between headquarters and the individual countries that make us who we are."

Joined by former local president Naomi Darrell and co-chairperson, Althea Smith, Ms Adair stressed the need for greater awareness of JCI, particularly for young people entering the working world.

"We met this weekend with Deputy Premier Eugene Cox and one of the things we talked about, which I think hits home to the Bermuda Junior Chamber, is having to import 20 to 22 percent of the workforce in Bermuda for generally the upper middle management jobs," said Ms Adair.

"And he spoke about how that tends to be very discouraging for young people to not be able to move up the ranks. He was complimenting our organisation, because of the opportunities we provide as far as training and leadership skills.

"Enhancing those skills and getting people involved in the community can give young people back some of that hope. For Bermuda's Government to realise the impact that the Junior Chamber is having is a testament to what we have done over the past years."

Ms Darrell and Ms Smith noted that the JCs are celebrating their upcoming 20th anniversary next year.

And in honour of the event they are recruiting vigorously to revitalise the falling numbers of the organisation.

Ms Darrell said: "Our membership has died over the past few years and we want to increase our membership. We will be doing a recruitment drive to get everybody out there in Bermuda aware of what we are doing. We want to make sure that everyone knows we are out there.''

Ms Adair added: "Volunteerism in general is down across the world. It's a challenge for young people in our age grouping - 20 to 40 - to make it a priority and get involved in the community. Every organisation goes through that, but the real challenge is how they deal with it. But we feel that Bermuda is strong, they'll have their 20th year anniversary next year and that is a testament to their success."

Their programmes stem from four areas of opportunity through which members can acquire and refine leadership skills to benefit society.

Their main focuses are in business, individualism, community activism and international collaboration.

All of these areas, said Ms Adair, are necessary for people who are looking to make a positive contribution to society, while at the same time strengthening their professional abilities in the work world.

Ms Darrell said: "Individualism is really building up on your leadership skills, improvement of self - we basically go out throughout the business and help them help their staff grow, in anyway we can. We do have particular training capabilities of what we do outside of the scope of the business arena. For a person to have that motivation and training out there to businesses is an asset."

Ms Smith added: "Other than the seminars that we offer, it's all intertwined with the community because of the community projects. We offer techniques for someone to write up a proposal, someone will learn how to write up a budget, someone will learn how to write a letter - and a proper letter at that. We offer courses as varied as Parliamentary Procedure, so there are all different concepts of business, in management and self leadership, all of that is under the umbrella of business."

Interested persons who wish to get involved with the Bermuda Junior Chamber can call Ms Darrell at 299-5836 or Ms Smith at 737-4836.