Bacardi and KPMG team up for scholarship initiative

The Student Reciprocity Program is a student training program designed to ensure undergraduate scholarship winners of these two organizations receive experience and exposure in both the international sector and the public accounting sector.

This first session of the Reciprocity Student Program for student scholarship winners will be during the summer of 2011.

“Each one of our undergraduate scholarship winners is provided the opportunity to gain valuable experience in their chosen field of accounting by participating in our summer training apprenticeship,” said Stewart Gurr, Bermuda Managing Director of Bacardi International Limited.

“To continue the success of the summer student work experience, we have decided to join with a well-regarded public accounting partner to expand the program to ensure our scholarship winners a broader range of relevant work experience.”

The partnership will benefit Bacardi scholarship recipients in providing exposure to the public accounting sector and an approved training office for formal training and studies towards the Chartered Accountant designation in Bermuda. KPMG scholarship recipients will be provided with experience in the international business sector.

This is a serious commitment on the part of both companies to ensure their undergraduate scholarship winners receive unparalleled training and experience in a wider range of interests and focus areas in the accounting field.

Bacardi student winners will have the opportunity to spend a period of four consecutive weeks of their summer employment working in the KPMG offices. Likewise, KPMG students will spend a period of four consecutive weeks of their summer employment working in the Bacardi offices.

The four week period of reciprocal work assignment is to run concurrently such that Bacardi students are working in the KPMG offices at the same time KPMG students are working at the Bacardi offices.

“Not only will our scholarship students have an opportunity for a broader work experience, but our students will be able to take advantage of the expert guidance of trained professionals in the accounting field through a student mentor assignment both at KPMG and Bacardi, preparing the recipients for a bright future,” said Craig Bridgewater, Partner with KPMG.

Bacardi students will be assigned to work with the KPMG professionals, including assignment in the audit, or advisory groups. Bacardi student scholarship winners will also be assigned to work with the KPMG students on a community service project offered at KPMG. KPMG students will be assigned to the Bacardi International Limited finance team or the Bacardi Limited global finance team. Bacardi and KPMG students will be assigned a mentor for their full four week reciprocal work assignment at the respective organizations.

Since the Bacardi International Limited scholarship program started five years ago, the Company has had six student scholarship winners training in their offices during the summer months in the field of accounting. The KPMG Scholarship has been in existence for more than 10 years.

Both the KPMG and Bacardi scholarships are valued at $20,000.00 per annum. In addition, both organizations also offer bursaries for deserving scholars.

Application forms for scholarship may be obtained from the Bacardi or the KPMG receptions, or by emailing [email protected]  or online at www.kpmg.bm.