MR. SPEAKER,
Today, I rise to update the Honourable members and the listening audience on the progress we are making towards growing the number of Learning Partners to support the changes underway in our Senior Signature Schools. Our Signature Schools, which launched in September 2022, offer an opportunity for businesses, industry and community organizations to become a Learning Partner to help shape Bermuda’s young people and the country’s future.
MR SPEAKER,
A key feature of Senior Signature Schools is the opportunity for students to engage in authentic, real-world learning experiences that help them to develop industry-specific knowledge and skills and to ensure our public education students develop the networks and relationships with those who bring with them contacts and resources that can be valuable in school-to-work transitions.
MR SPEAKER,
This is of critical importance for Bermuda as Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) research shows that “experiencing” work-based learning as a senior or high school student. tends to be associated with higher wages and better life outcomes, with positive implications for society as well. However, according to OECD analysis, which aligns with anecdotal data here, less than one third of young people have some experience with a meaningful work placement or internship by the age of 16. Addressing this, particularly for our publicschool students, is a goal this Government remains steadfastly committed to.
MR. SPEAKER,
Last year, we announced the seven Learning Partners who signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) during the 2022-2023 school year. These learning partners are:
- Bermuda Institute of Ocean Studies (BIOS)
- Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS)
- Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI)
- KPMG Bermuda
- Association of Bermuda International Companies (ABIC)
- Koom Consulting Limited
- BELCO
MR SPEAKER,
At the time of that announcement, we were already seeing the benefits of these Learning Partnerships. Students enrolled in the Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) Signature Learning Programme at CedarBridge Academy were experiencing STEM first hand alongside experts and in real-world professional environments at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo (BZS) in Flatts thanks to BZS who is working with school staff to co-deliver modules including Field Investigations. In another partnership with ABIC, Bermuda Public School teachers delivering the Financial and Insurance Services Signature Learning Programme at the Berkeley Institute had the opportunity to receive industry-aligned professional learning focused on international business.
MR. SPEAKER,
Today, I wish to highlight the new MOUs that have been signed for Learning Partnerships in the 2023-2024 school year. The Ministry of Education, on the behalf of the Bermuda Public School System, signed four MOUs with new Signature Learning Partners:
- Paradise Mobile;
- Cambridge Beaches;
- BAC Group; and
- Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
MR. SPEAKER,
As a Signature Learning Partner, the alliance with Paradise Mobile gives students access to advanced technology, creating a new wave of techsmart entrepreneurs and innovators. This partnership will be part of the STEM Signature Learning Programme at CedarBridge Academy and Financial and Insurance Services at The Berkeley. The Paradise Mobile Learning Partnership provides possibilities for internships, career paths in STEM fields, and entrepreneurship in FinTech. Starting in 2025, graduating students will have the opportunity to join accelerators and incubators, launching start-ups based on emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) — all powered by the Paradise Network.
MR. SPEAKER,
The partnership with Cambridge Beaches, one of Bermuda’s premier tourism establishments, will offer students the opportunity to interact with and learn from industry experts, helping them obtain relevant credentials in a supportive setting. This collaboration will be located at Sandys Secondary Middle School, which will transform into Bermuda’s third signature Senior Signature School delivering the Hospitality and Tourism and Education Services Signature Learning Programmes in September 2025.
MR. SPEAKER,
As a new Signature Learning Partner, the BAC Group will support The Berkeley Institute with the Financial and Insurance Services Signature Learning Programme and will also support CedarBridge Academy with the Engineering Strand in the STEM Signature Learning Programme and the Automotive Technology and Electrical Strands in the Trades and Professions Signature Learning Programme.
MR. SPEAKER,
The final Signature Learning Partner to mention is the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), who will work with The Berkeley Institute, the Department of Education, Bermuda College, and CPA Bermuda on several key initiatives:
- developing accounting education capacity:
- growing the local pool of finance and accounting professionals in Bermuda:
- supporting local talent hiring efforts: and
- offering mentoring and workplace opportunities for students.
The MOU signing brought ACCA's Foundations in Accountancy qualification at RQF (Regulated Qualifications Framework) Levels 2 and 3 into the S3 and S4 curriculum. This initiative strengthens our educational programmings in Accounting and Finance within Signature Learning, making Bermuda the first country in the region to launch this initiative.
MR. SPEAKER, Learning Partnerships show that we all have a role to play in educating Bermuda's learners. The Government of Bermuda wants to grow these key partnerships to make sure our students get the best education possible including expanding into our Parish Primary Schools, with a focus on exposure to signature learning opportunities and as a way of delivering wrap-around services to students and their families and building relationships with community members.
MR. SPEAKER,
This Government will continue to encourage and support more community and industry partners to commit to the children and young people of Bermuda so that, together, we can give learners the tools they need to do well and to prepare our young Bermudians to be competitive and innovative members of both the local and the global community.
THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER.