Good day to all members of the media and the listening public.
I am incredibly pleased to be here today with Melissa Logie, President and CEO of the Chartered Professional Accountants Bermuda (CPA), to announce the launch of a strategic partnership between the Ministry of Labour and the CPA Bermuda, aimed at increasing the number of qualified Bermudian accountants.
The public will know that Bermuda is a significant player in the global financial services industry. Given that accounting makes up a substantial portion of our service offerings, there is an excellent opportunity for Bermudians to take advantage and secure their future by seeking careers in accounting.
Currently, of the 1,500 Professional Accountants registered with CPA Bermuda, only 25% are Bermudian. This fact presents an excellent opportunity for over a thousand Bermudians to seek training and launch a career in an industry that is fulfilling, in-demand, and can help provide a comfortable lifestyle for individuals and their families.”
Through this strategic partnership, we will target:
- Bermudians graduating from high school and looking towards university;
- Bermudians graduating from university and seeking employment; and,
- Mature Bermudians considering a career transition.
The Ministry of Labour and CPA Bermuda will work collaboratively to execute a strategy that will:
- Increase public awareness of the profession;
- Work with stakeholders to gather relevant data;
- Collaborate with Bermuda based companies to provide opportunities for Bermudians in the accounting field.
And so I urge high school students who are looking towards university, college graduates seeking fulfilling employment and mature individuals in search of a career transition to consider a career in accounting.
Additionally, we will strive to increase the number of scholarship opportunities for Bermudian students to pursue professional accounting designations.
For more information on this initiative, please contact the CPA Bermuda at 292-7479 or email info@cpabermuda.bm.
At this time, I want to remind persons currently seeking employment to register with the Department of Workforce Development to take advantage of any current or future opportunities. The email address is dwd@gov.bm.
Thank you, and at this time, I welcome Melissa Logie to share more information about the initiative and what a career in accounting can bring.