Column: Dr Sam On College Enrolment & More
[Opinion column written by Dr David Sam]
Bermuda College’s latest census results give Bermuda good reason for confidence. Student numbers are rising, retention has rebounded strongly, and more students are enrolling with clear academic purpose.
That is welcome news for the College, for families, and for the island’s future. But it should also sharpen our focus on one issue we cannot ignore: too many of our young men are still not engaging in education as they should.
Spring 2026 paints an encouraging picture. Total enrolment rose to 550 students, a 2 per cent increase over Spring 2025. Full-time equivalents also increased, from 459 to 478 and, most striking of all, retention rose from 62 per cent in Spring 2025 to 81 per cent in Spring 2026, the strongest rate in ten years.
These are not abstract figures. They tell us that more students are choosing Bermuda College, more are committing to a course of study, and far more are staying the course.
That matters because education is not only about individual ambition. It is about national capacity. When students enter a programme with purpose and remain in it, Bermuda gains future nurses, entrepreneurs, teachers, technicians, hospitality professionals and skilled tradespeople.
It gains people who are better prepared to contribute to their communities and to the wider economy. In that sense, the College’s gains are Bermuda’s gains.
There are especially positive signs in areas tied closely to the island’s needs. Applied Sciences grew from 57 students in Spring 2025 to 76 in Spring 2026, reflecting renewed interest in technical and trades pathways.
Business and Hospitality retention reached 84 per cent, another encouraging result in a sector that remains central to Bermuda’s economy. We are also seeing strong engagement beyond traditional credit programmes, with the Athora Division of Professional and Career Education [APACE] registrations for Fall 2025 increasing by 7 per cent over Fall 2024. These developments show that Bermudians are responding to opportunity, whether through academic study, workforce development or professional upskilling.
So there is real progress here, and it deserves to be recognised. But leadership means celebrating progress without overlooking responsibility. One of the clearest concerns in this report is the persistent gender gap in participation. Female enrolment has grown, and women now make up 57 per cent of students, while men account for 42 per cent, with a small number not stated.
The report also notes continued concern about male participation, particularly outside the trades. In plain terms, women are increasingly outpacing men in taking up educational opportunities, and we should applaud that success. At the same time, we must ask why too many young men are being left behind.
This is not a criticism of young men. It is a call to stand with them. Education changes the direction of lives. It opens doors to employment, confidence, independence and service. It gives young people the tools to adapt in a changing world. When young men disconnect from education, the consequences rarely stop with the individual. Families feel it. Employers feel it. Communities feel it. Bermuda feels it.
That is why this cannot be a challenge for Bermuda College alone. It is a national responsibility. Parents, guardians, teachers, coaches, faith leaders, employers, alumni and policymakers all have a role to play.
Young men need encouragement, examples, accountability and practical support. They need to see education not as something distant or abstract, but as something that belongs to them and can change what is possible for them.
For some, that support may mean earlier intervention at school. For others, it may mean more visible male role models in professions, stronger mentoring, better guidance around career pathways, or a clearer connection between study and real opportunity. For many, it will simply mean having adults who consistently tell them: you belong here, your future matters, and education is one of the surest ways to build it.
The good news is that Bermuda College is already showing what is possible. Students are enrolling in greater numbers. Retention has recovered with force. More students are pursuing defined programmes. Workforce development remains active. These are strong foundations. They tell us the College is not standing still. It is rebuilding momentum and restoring confidence.
Now we must widen that momentum. We should be proud that more women are stepping forward and succeeding in education. That is a strength for Bermuda. But true progress means bringing more young men forward as well, not as an afterthought, but as a shared priority.
If Spring 2026 tells us anything, it is that purposeful education works. Students who see a path are more likely to stay on it. Our task now is to make sure more of Bermuda’s young men can see that path clearly, believe it is meant for them, and have a community ready to help them walk it.
That is how we build on this progress. That is how we strengthen Bermuda College. And that is how we strengthen Bermuda itself.
- Dr David Sam, the President of Bermuda College
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