Endeavour Maritime Programme Fourth Cohort

Endeavour welcomed 11 Bermudians ages 16-34 years for the fourth cohort of the Endeavour Maritime Springboard Programme that started on January 11th.

A spokesperson said, “Endeavour is a registered charity and nonprofit that engages Bermuda’s youth in experiential learning that builds their confidence and life skills. Endeavour is partnering with the Bermuda College Professional and Career Education [PACE] Division to engage Bermudian youth in a maritime training and career development initiative.

“The Endeavour Maritime Career Springboard Programme is a seven-week training initiative designed to benefit Bermudian youth ages 16 and older who are interested in the maritime industry by equipping them with the skills and training necessary to jumpstart their career. Forty-one Bermudian youth from across the Island have benefitted since the programme was piloted in 2018. We are thrilled that many of the young people who have completed the programme are now working in the maritime industry.

“The Endeavour Maritime Career Springboard 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 facilitates hands-on training while providing Bermudian youth with an opportunity to achieve internationally-recognised qualifications such as RYA Sailing Levels 1,2, and 3, RYA Seamanship, RYA Powerboat Level 2, RYA Essential Navigation, RYA First Aid, RYA Safe & Fun Safeguarding, and RYA Marine Radio Short Range Certificate [SRC]. Participants also develop skills including teamwork, communication, presentation, and problem solving.

“While all Springboard Crew share the common goal of wanting to work in the maritime industry, their career aspirations range from working as ferry operators and branch pilots at Marine & Ports Services, deckhands on charters or super yachts, boat mechanics at a boatyard, youth sailing instructor, and a Watch Leader aboard the Spirit of Bermuda.

“A key aspect of the programme focuses on career exploration with interactive site visits at maritime or-ganisations across the Island to expose participants to the vast opportunities in the maritime industry. Young Bermudians who are participating in the programme gain invaluable knowledge and increased awareness of maritime career pathways while building their network.

Tia Tankard, Endeavour’s Community Engagement Coordinator stated, “Endeavour is fortunate to partner with some of Bermuda’s leading maritime organisations who provide their vital support year after year to support the Endeavour Maritime Career Springboard Programme. Marine partners play an important role by offering interactive experiences to help young Bermudians gain an appreciation for the many different roles and opportunities in the maritime industry.”

“Special thanks to the organisations and presenters who have supported this year’s programme:

• Bermuda Coast Guard – Sergeant Sean Wheatley and Captain Jeff Patterson
• Spar Yard Marine Solutions Ltd. – Chris Roque, Mark Goodwin & 2019 Springboard Grad Kris Cameron
• Waterstart – JP Skinner
• BIOS – Kaitlin Noyes and Tim Noyes
• Spirit of Bermuda – Lauren Yelle-Simmons, Captain Alex Peacock and the Spirit of Bermuda Crew
• Ocean Sails – Stevie Hollis
• Bermuda Yacht Services – Mark Soares
• Department of Marine & Ports Services – Chamaigne Dill & Maquel Bailey
• K.S. Watersports – Kevin Sousa
• “The Bermuda Boat” author – Ralph Richardson
• SailGP – Molly Riihiluoma & 2018 Springboard Grad Matthew Stephens

Ms. Tankard added, “We’re grateful to all of our marine partners who supported this year’s programme and inspired young Bermudians participating in the programme by sharing their passion for working in the maritime industry. They shared their own career highlights including how they started out in the maritime industry, their path to their current role and outlined career opportunities as well as tips to be successful.

“We are thankful that many of our marine partners were able to host multiple site visits to accommodate this year’s cohort so that we could adhere to Bermuda Government’s smaller group sizes due to COVID-19 while ensuring that all Springboard Crew were exposed to as many of the career site visits as possible.”

“Endeavour welcomed 11 Bermudians ages 16-34 years for the fourth cohort of the programme that started on January 11th, 2021. With regular check-ins, many of the participants are progressing toward their goals and enjoyed their career site visits.”

Zico Smith, a 16-year-old CedarBridge Academy student who is a part of the 2021 Springboard Crew said, “I enjoyed learning how to solder during our visit to BIOS and learning about the different activities they do on the R/V Atlantic Explorer when they go out.”

Kaitlin Noyes, Director of Education and Community Engagement at BIOS, facilitated a hands-on activity that allowed Endeavour’s Springboard Crew with practice building and testing robotic grabbers, such as those used by underwater robots to collect marine species or geological samples.

Ms. Noyes said, “BIOS offers Bermudian youth in the Endeavour Maritime Career Springboard Programme exposure to career pathways in research institutions, as well as information about opportunities including internships at the Institute through the Bermuda Programme.”

Ibrahim ‘Bob’ Douch said, “I really enjoyed learning more about BIOS and the different research they con-duct on and offshore. During our site visit I enjoyed the hands-on electrical experiment to learn more about soldering as well as the virtual tour of the R/V Atlantic Explorer. I appreciated the opportunity to be on the Spirit of Bermuda and loved learning about her history which was my favourite part besides being at the helm.”

Claire Medley, a BIOS research technician who works aboard the Atlantic Explorer commented, “I really enjoyed being involved with helping Bermudian youth participating in the programme learn more about careers in ocean science. It’s not always obvious that such a wide range of skills are needed and can be applied to different jobs and roles aboard the ship.”

16-year-old Sari Smith said, “I enjoyed learning about all of the operations that are needed on the Spirit of Bermuda. I found charting and navigation aboard the Bermuda Sloop fascinating. It is amazing how precise the charts were! I also enjoyed learning about the different positions at the Department of Marine & Ports. It was eye opening as to how many maritime jobs are available.”

Robin Hamill, CEO, Bermuda Sloop Foundation stated, “Bermuda Sloop Foundation are truly delighted to partner with Endeavour for the Endeavour Maritime Career Springboard Programme, and welcome youth participants onboard the ‘Spirit of Bermuda’ to enhance their maritime knowledge and experience.

“There are incredible synergies between our organisations, and we look forward to doing more together to en-hance our community contribution, in a collaborative way. There is a natural progression between our programmes that benefit youth interested to pursue a career in the maritime field who will experience the best of what we both offer.”

20-year-old Jahshon Smith said, “Steve and Alex at Ocean Sails were very informational. They provided a lot of advice for those of us who wish to travel the world in boats and work in the maritime industry. I enjoyed learning more about Steve Hollis’ life and how he grew up in the maritime industry as well as how things have progressed in relation to sail maintenance and design. I am grateful that I was able to speak with Steve and Alex after the presentation and I would love to stay in contact with Steve as he seems like a guy that you can learn a lot from.”

18-year-old Kenai Stowe said, “I was very interested to learn how Bermuda Yacht Services work with super yachts and this seems like something I would be very excited to do. I enjoyed learning about all of the roles that are involved including deck hand, releasing yachts from the docks, and piloting the yachts.”

18-year-old Nahzai Lee said, “I really enjoyed the career visit at SparYard. I like working on boats and en-joyed learning more about how boat repair and maintenance including painting, sanding, and the engine mechanics. I also enjoyed visiting the Bermuda Coast Guard, learning about a typical day, and finding out the different boats involved and procedures they follow before acting. I also enjoyed learning about the different types of sails during the Ocean Sails career site visit. Stevie Hollis’ background is very interesting and gave me new goals. I gained a lot of new knowledge during this experience.”

17-year-old Markel Musson said, “It was very interesting to learn about the seven different categories at the Department of Marine & Ports Services. I enjoyed learning about the different roles, what they do and how you can move within different categories.”

20-year-old Dontae Butterfield said, “I truly enjoyed hearing about Kevin’s story from K.S. Watersports, hearing about his trials and tribulations and how he overcame them to be successful. It was very inspiring, and I am motivated to stay dedicated and persistent toward my own career goals.”

Tristan Loescher, Endeavour Programme Manager stated, “It has been remarkable to watch their trans-formation from day one to their completion of the programme. We are proud of their accomplishments and the level of commitment they have demonstrated throughout the last seven weeks. It is amazing to see the camaraderie develop between participants as they often do not know each other before the pro-gramme, however they build trust as they work together and leverage their individual strengths to support each other along the way.”

Tom Harcombe, Endeavour Programme Manager commented, “Each Springboard participant has worked hard toward their goals. We are thrilled to see the progress they have made throughout the programme and congratulate them on their achievements. Many started the programme with limited or no sailing experience and are emerging with a new set of skills, knowledge, and experience along with an expanded network of supporters.”

Karen Smith, Bermuda College PACE Coordinator, shared, “Bermuda College is thrilled to continue this partnership with Endeavour toward our shared vision to create learning opportunities for Bermuda’s youth that better prepare them for their futures. Bermuda provides the perfect environment for this unique programme that connects our young people with Bermuda’s rich maritime heritage while providing them with a firm foundation for a promising maritime career.”

Jennifer Pitcher, Community Engagement, Development & Partnerships Manager states, “We are hon-oured to partner with the Bermuda College PACE Division for the Endeavour Maritime Career Springboard Programme. We deeply appreciate their support over the past four years that is instrumental for the pro-gramme’s success.

“We are thankful for support from the Centennial Bermuda Foundation which helps us to not only deliver the programme but also offer financial bursaries to improve access so that all of Bermuda’s youth can access this unique learning and development opportunity. We are grateful to Endeavour’s founding lead partner, Orbis Investments, for their generous support of Endeavour that allows us to continue delivering positive outcomes for Bermuda’s youth.”

Learn more about the Endeavour Maritime Career Springboard Programme at www.endeavour.bm and check out the video here.

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