The Bermuda Educational Network and six other organisations celebrated five years of the Math Springboard Programme last week.

The Math Springboard Programme offers work shadow experience for Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy students at Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd., Allied World Assurance Company Ltd., KPMG, Sirius International and The Bermuda Monetary Authority

This year’s programme began on June 30 with ten students being given presentations about the financial services industry and an interactive lesson on proper business etiquette.

“We are confident that engaging our young people at this critical stage in their academic development will allow them to participate in a meaningful way in Bermuda’s economy in the not too distant future,” said Dianne-Mae Burgess, Programme Manager at the BMA and Chairperson of the Math Springboard Committee.

Grace Lovecchio, Springboard mentor and vice-president at Sirius said “We believe that the programme affords the students an enormous opportunity to experience first-hand the workings of an office and hope that this opportunity may help to direct them to want to pursue a career involving math.”

Human resources personnel from the mentoring companies have been recruiting and interviewing candidates for the coveted work shadow placements since March.

The students in the programme are: Tayania Allen, Ore Bademosi, Ashley Belgrave, Satiqua Butterfield-Wade, Leticia da Silva, Kimika Jackson, Aaliya Smith, Jahstice Trott, Stephanie Ventura and Torri Wilson.

All of the students being girls was noted by organisers.

“It’s exciting to see so many talented young ladies taking part this year, but the lack of interest from male applicants this year is a bit troubling,” Becky Ausenda. the executive director of Bermuda Education Network, said.