International companies want to hire Bermudians but it is essential that candidates have a solid education, Bermuda International Business Association (BIBA) local events coordinator Jamela Daniels said.

Ms Daniels is coordinating BIBA?s International Business Week this year and said the purpose of the event is to promote awareness among Bermudians of the opportunities available to them.

Those opportunities can include lucrative scholarships for Bermudian students to pursue the studies they will need in order to enter the international business sector with a running start.

?There is about $3 million available for scholarships provided by international business for Bermudian students to go to college and we want to increase the number of Bermudians graduating from college,? BIBA CEO Deborah Middleton said yesterday.

With International Business Week just six days away ? it will run from October 10-14 ? the BIBA representatives told they hope the event will open some eyes.

?The event is also designed to (help to) Bermudianise the workforce and dispel the myths that it is hard for Bermudians to break into the international sector,? Ms Daniels said.

IB week will open next Monday with a proclamation on the steps at City Hall and a performance from entertainer Sia Spence.

As the week progresses sessions will be held on the topics such as ?Getting Degrees On Line?, ?Do You Really Need an MBA?? and ?How To Find Your Dream Job?.

?We will discuss whether it is necessary to get an MBA because a lot of young Bermudians get a degree and wonder if there will be more opportunities by getting an MBA,? Ms Daniels said.

IB week will culminate with a gala evening complete with a speech from best-selling author and businessman Stedman Graham.

The importance of education to success in the sector will be the driving message of this year?s event.

?International business is a sophisticated business,? Ms Middleton said.

?If you want to further your career, a good education is great springboard to take your place within the management level and higher level within these companies.?

Apart from lawyers and accountants, Ms Daniels said the Island needs IT professionals, facilities managers, marketing, construction andlandscaping personnel as well as other service providers.

?We have to start thinking outside the box as there are so many opportunities out there,? she said.

?The better you are qualified in any job the better prepared and equipped you are to move forward with your career.

?International companies want to hire Bermudians but a good education is required to do so. The more qualified we become as Bermudians, the more chance we have of reducing the need for imported labour.?

Even the most educated must pay their dues, however, she added.

?If you come back from college with a degree, versus someone who has not been to school, you stand a better chance of moving up, but you still need to start from the bottom.?

For more information on IB week contact Ms Daniels at 292-0632, fax at 292-1797 or at jdanielsbiba.org.