Bahamas News
BAHAMAS: National Training Agency Graduates a Strong Cohort
#Nassau, November 3, 2018 – Bahamas – After completing fourteen weeks of training in Hospitality Services, 
Office Procedures and Information Technology, 79 students received their certificates during a graduation ceremony at the National Training Agency (NTA), Thursday, November 1, 2018.
The training, which included 10 weeks of technical skill training and mandatory work force preparation, has equipped the young people for the country’s workforce.
Gadville McDonald, Executive Director, NTA, said from all indications and according to results, Cohort 9 this was the “best” cohort in the history of the agency. Mr. McDonald commended the students for their success in the new Information Technology (IT) skills training, for the 100 percent passes in the Office Procedure external City and Guilds exam, some obtaining credit and special credit, and for their achievements in the hospitality discipline.
“This cohort has been a part of many firsts. You’ve been able to participate in the launch of our digital certificate block search using block chain technology, which is a first for The Bahamas and this region. This is a big deal. No longer will you have to walk around with your physical certificates but you can actually carry them around in your smart phones.
“You’ve benefited from our intentional strategy of reducing the train the trainer ratio resulting in smaller classes with greater attention being placed on learning outcomes specific to your success in the workforce,” said Mr. McDonald.
He remarked that the NTA is a leader in competency based training in The Bahamas and is fulfilling its mandate of creating a training and job placement system that is dynamic and responsive to the demands of The Bahamas workforce and employment.
“We are considered a go-to agency for employers who are seeking qualified, entry level employees. The staff can tell you that our phones ring off the hook every day looking for qualified Bahamians who can serve at entry level efficiently in various departments,” he said.
In the keynote address, the Hon. Elsworth Johnson, Minister of State for Legal Affairs, who represented the Hon. Dion Foulkes, Minister of Labour, said the Bahamas Government is committed to creating a highly productive, competitive and competent workforce.
He told the graduates that the government continues to invest in them because it understands the need for ongoing competency-based training.
“We believe that every Bahamian should have the best chance to participate in our economy, regardless of academic or financial status.”
He encouraged them to be the greatest model of what is good about the Bahamas’ workforce: courteous, hardworking and disciplined.
“Employers today constantly complain about the entrants to the workforce. Please make the NTA proud, make me proud – be positive at all times, show up for work every day, no matter how you feel, go the extra mile and most importantly never stop learning.
“The National Training Agency continues to be a trailblazer in soft skills training and the overall development of our young people. In its short life span, the agency has trained 5,000 young Bahamians. For this year alone, some 600 young persons have been trained, inclusive of the seventy-nine graduating tonight.
“In addition, the agency is currently training more than 260 youth under the Citizens Security and Justice 
Programme, a key government initiative geared towards increasing employability and employment among at-risk youth between the ages of 15-29. The first part of this training is scheduled to conclude within the next two weeks,” he said.
Thirty-nine percent of the graduates have already received full-time employment and the NTA is making efforts to ensure that the remainder of the graduates are successfully employed. They will be placed in the Ministry of Labour’s Public Employment Services database to ensure their successful placement in the workplace.
The students received certificates, pins and special awards in the various disciplines including food and beverage service, food preparation, housekeeping, butler services, office procedures and IT.
By Kathryn Campbell
Released: BIS
Photo Captions:
Header: The Hon. Elsworth Johnson, Minister of State for Legal Affairs (right) presents a special award to Dwayne Williamson for his achievements in Information Technology as Gadville McDonald, Executive Director, looks on.
1st insert: Jaleal Wright-Bowles, Information Technology student, gives a reflection.
2nd insert: The Hon. Elsworth Johnson, Minister of State for Legal Affairs, speaks at the graduation ceremony of Cohort 9, National Training Agency.
3rd insert: Trenelle Robinson shows off her trophy for her success in butler services. The trophy was presented to her by the Hon. Elsworth Johnson, Minister of State for Legal Affairs (right) and Gadville McDonald, Executive Director.
4th insert: The Hon. Elsworth Johnson, Minister of State for Legal Affairs, is pictured 2nd from right along with other officials at the graduation ceremony of Cohort 9, National Training Agency. Also shown is Gadville McDonald, Executive Director, National Training Agency (1st from right), Cecilia Strachan and Donella Bodie, Permanent Secretaries.
BIS Photos/Raymond A. Bethel, Sr.
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.
The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap
from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.
With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.
Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.
Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.
Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!
After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.
The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before
their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.
At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.
Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.
Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.
The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.
Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.
Bahamas News
The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed
their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.
As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.
Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole,
with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’. Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.
Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.
Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the
listening booth.
Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.
For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification
attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.
Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.
The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members. Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.
Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine. To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.
On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking
in the comfort of the chic lounge. In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.
The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.
Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.
To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.
