News Archive

Connecting Bermudian Youth with Maritime Opportunities

19 Oct 2020

Endeavour Community Sailing, a registered charity and non-profit that engages Bermuda’s youth in experiential learning, partners with the Bermuda College Professional & Career Education (PACE) Division to provide Bermudian youth with an exciting career development opportunity to prepare them for entering the maritime workforce.

The Endeavour Maritime Career Springboard Programme is making a difference for young Bermudians who are seeking employment and interested in a maritime career by equipping them with the skills and training to obtain a job in the maritime industry. The seven-week programme provides skills development, job readiness, and vocational training for Bermudian youth ages 16 and older.

A key focus of the programme exposes participants to the vast roles in the maritime industry through interactive career days and site visits that build their network, increase their awareness of maritime career paths and prepare them to be successful in their job search.

The programme combines classroom theory sessions aligned with the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) syllabus complemented by practical on-water sessions on boats including the RS Quest. Endeavour’s team of qualified instructors facilitates most of the training at the Endeavour West Fort in Dockyard.

RYA Coach Assessors assess each participant’s competency across a series of internationally-recognised qualifications such as RYA Sailing Level 1 and 2, RYA Powerboat Level 2, RYA Seamanship, RYA Essential Navigation, RYA First Aid, RYA Safe & Fun Safeguarding, RYA Marine Radio Short Range Certificate (SRC), and RYA Dinghy Instructor. While completing the sailing and powerboating courses, participants also develop skills including teamwork, communication, presentation and problem solving.

Participants learn best practices to improve their resumes and create action plans for their job search and career planning through interactive workshops that guide participants to prepare them for success.

Tia Tankard, Endeavour’s Community Engagement Coordinator, states, “We appreciate the amazing support from our marine partners who shared their career highlights while imparting valuable knowledge to inspire our 2020 Springboard participants to work hard to achieve their goals. They outlined the skills and training requirements for their particular field, as well as highlighted how vast the opportunities are in the maritime sector.

Ms. Tankard added, “We’re grateful to the organisations and presenters who supported this year’s programme including: Mark Procter and Lynelle Williams (Bermuda Police Service Marine Unit/ Bermuda Coast Guard), Chris Roque, Mark Goodwin, and Kris Cameron (Spar Yard Marine Solutions / West End Yachts), Steve Pegg (Bermuda Marine Operations Centre), Lauren Yelle-Simmons (Spirit of Bermuda), Chamaigne Dill, Curtis Dublin, and Mario Thompson (Department of Marine & Ports Services), Kaitlin Noyes and Quentin Lewis (BIOS), JP Skinner and Claire Fox (WaterStart), and Steve Hollis (Ocean Sails).”

Endeavour welcomed nine young Bermudians ages 16-35 years old for the 2020 programme. Each participant has unique career aspirations but what brought them together was their desire to expand their knowledge and enhance their skillset to propel them toward their goal of working in the maritime industry.

A Commencement Ceremony was held on Thursday, Oct. 8th to celebrate the achievements of the 2020 cohort to complete the programme. The Honourable Jason Hayward, JP, MP, Minister of Labour presented RYA certificates to each participant.

Minster Hayward said, “I congratulate all of the participants of the Endeavour Maritime Career Springboard Programme. This was an awesome opportunity for participants to not only gain insight into the possibilities of maritime careers but also to build new skill sets and increase their overall capacity.”

“I would like to thank the Endeavour team and the other participating organisations for their commitment to enriching the lives of our youth. The Ministry of Labour looks forward to working with Endeavour in the future to encourage more Bermudians to pursue maritime career opportunities. I encourage other young persons to take advantage of the transformational experience this programme has to offer.”

Endeavour Chairperson Leatrice Oatley presented each participant with a beautiful glass Bermuda sloop on a Bermuda cedar base made by Dockyard Glassworks, and Ralph Richardson presented participants with a signed copy of his book, The Bermuda Boater.

Endeavour wishes to thank the National Museum of Bermuda for generously hosting the event in the beautiful Queen’s Exhibition Hall. Gosling’s and Bonefish catering supported the refreshments for the special occasion.

Thirty Bermudian youth from across the Island representing a variety of interests and career goals have benefited from the first three years of the programme. One hundred percent of participants reported they increased their confidence and awareness of maritime opportunities through their participation in the programme. Customized training sessions focus on each participant’s learning style to improve their skills and knowledge noting that there is no requirement of prior sailing experience to participate.

Tom Harcombe, Endeavour Programme Manager comments, ”It’s fantastic to see the transformation of each participant from their first day to the final day of the programme. Many of the participants started the programme with limited or no sailing experience, but they emerged with the skills and knowledge to teach sailing fundamentals to others aligning with Royal Yachting Association standards. We wish them the best with their careers and look forward to seeing what they will achieve in the future!”

Springboard Grad, 18-year old Jeremiah Samuels said, “The Endeavour Maritime Career Springboard Programme has completely opened my mind up as I was not considering positions in the maritime field before. I have found working in and around the water to be a real passion of mine and I would like to continue on the path that this programme has started me on.”

Tristan Loescher, Endeavour Programme Manager states, “We’re proud of their achievements. They demonstrated a great deal of commitment during the programme. It’s incredible to see the camaraderie develop as they do not know each other on the first day of the programme, but they build trust and confidence as they work together and leverage their individual strengths to support each other along the way. They have worked tirelessly toward their goals and we’re thrilled for their exciting futures ahead as they leave the programme with new skills, qualifications, and a new group of supporters.”

Karen Smith, Bermuda College PACE Programme Coordinator explains, “Bermuda College is extremely pleased to continue this partnership with Endeavour. Bermuda provides ideal conditions for a programme such as this. It establishes a firm foundation for a promising career in the maritime industry both locally and internationally. We encourage anyone who is intrigued by the possibility of a maritime career to come out to the Information Session on Thursday, October 24th at 6pm. Please RSVP to  for more details.

Jennifer Pitcher, Community Engagement, Development & Partnerships Manager states, “We’re honoured to partner with the Bermuda College PACE Division toward the ongoing success of the Endeavour Maritime Career Springboard Programme.

We’re grateful to the Bank of Bermuda Foundation for their support of the 2020 programme which allowed us to offer financial aid for participants as needed to ensure better access to the programme. We’re especially grateful to lead sponsor, Orbis Investments, for their instrumental support of Endeavour’s work that creates a positive impact in our community.” We look forward to welcoming the next cohort in January 2021 for which interested candidates are invited to submit a resume and cover letter to by November 12^th

Back to News Archives