PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: Beaches Turks & Caicos is reaffirming its commitment to national youth development through ongoing initiatives that mentor and train young people to reach their full potential.

The resort’s management believes that every young person deserves the tools and guidance for turning potential into purpose. Managing Director James McAnally said the resort’s philosophy is grounded in providing opportunity for growth, regardless of background.

“We create an environment where, with the right disposition, the team members’ start does not determine where they will end up,” McAnally said.

Through its learning and development department, Beaches Turks & Caicos offers training, mentorship and exposure to different career paths. Phildreka Mayham, manager of the department, explained that the resort actively recruits young, motivated individuals and helps them develop both personally and professionally.

“We take in bright, driven individuals with no prior experience and give them the chance to prove themselves, grow and level up,” Mayham said. She noted that the Sandals Corporate University, an educational arm of the Sandals group, provides accredited training and degree-level study through partnerships with regional and international universities.

The success of the resort’s youth development approach is evident in stories like that of Deandra Astwood, a front desk agent who joined the resort shortly after completing secondary school. Recently named Diamond Team Member of the Month – a prestigious monthly recognition at Beaches – Astwood credited the resort’s supportive environment for her success.

“I am truly humbled to receive this award,” she said. “It motivates me to continue growing and giving my best every day.”

Her manager, Shaneque Grant, described her as one of the youngest yet most dedicated team members in the department. “Deandra’s journey shows what’s possible when young people are given the chance to learn and shine,” Grant said.

Beaches Turks & Caicos, through the Sandals Foundation, continues to expand its investment in education and career development. The resort views its role in youth empowerment as more than corporate responsibility; it is a national commitment to preparing the next generation for leadership.

Photo Captions:

Header: Beaches Turks and Caicos resort shares with students and educators from the Clement Howell High School in a fine dining training experience at the resort

1^st Insert: Oseta Jolly Primary School Guidance Counsellor Carane Hall-Brodber (standing left) shares in a conversation with Beaches Public Relations Manager Orville Morgan while students enjoy a chill time on one of the chairs in the green space at the school as the resort continues to invest in youth

2^nd Insert: Clement Howell High School students receive fine dining etiquette training led by Beaches Turks and Caicos resort Food and Beverage team leader Claude Williams at one of the 22 dining outlets on the resort

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, October 21, 2025 — Almost 2000 students from eight schools in Providenciales, recently benefitted from educational donations of Beaches Turks and Caicos resort and the Sandals Foundation. The team from the resort ventured to the institutions to bring joy to the students with well-needed school supplies along with guests during Reading Road Trips visit.

Members of the Beaches Turks and Caicos team along with resort guests participated in the events where the guests were able to share in a literacy session and cultural exchange, the Reading Road Trip.

School packages distributed included school bags with notebooks, storybooks, pencils, crayons, markers, highlighters, pens, erasers, glue and other art supplies, flash cards, construction paper, folder leaves, folders, rulers, sharpeners, calculators, pencil cases, and educational games.

“We are really happy for the help given to students of the Thelma Lightbourne Primary school. These supplies will go a long way toward assisting them throughout this school term, as some of the parents will now be able to adjust their budgets for the rest of the academic year. The joy expressed by the students could be overheard along the corridors and in the classroom discussions as they examined the content of each bag,” said Robin Cox-Foster, Principal of the school.

“The children were ecstatic to show off their new school bags with the goodies included, as well as the different activities that the Beaches Turks and Caicos team were involved in sharing. We can’t thank Beaches Turks and Caicos resort enough for their efforts,” Maria Ellena Vasquez, Principal of the Holy Family Group of Schools noted.

Nelene Swann, the Enid Capron Primary school vice principal and team, while hosting some Travel Advisors for a Reading Road Trip shared, “These educational materials are just a small part of what the Beaches Turks and Caicos resort does for our community. The students being able to receive these items at this time of the school year will help to motivate them to have a prepared mindset for the balance of the school year. This time of the year is most ideal as parents are now more relaxed as they are more prepared financially for these students.”

Managing Director, James McAnally noted: “Our Sandals Foundation volunteers have shown true commitment to the tasks of sharing and building different communities. These team members have prepared these items during the evening hours after work to ensure that these students are more prepared for the school term. The team ensured that students in the different communities were able to experience the care and commitment from the Sandals Foundation and the resort. We are happy for the support received from our partners in ensuring that the logistics in preparing and delivering these gifts to these students.”

Beaches Turks and Caicos public relations manager, Orville Morgan said the Sandals Foundation team was happy to give back to a community with which it has close relationship.

Noted Morgan: “It was great to see the smile on the faces of the recipients — we are incredibly grateful to our guests who are committed to always bringing along up to 5 lbs of school supplies when they come on vacation, and hats off to all the volunteers from the resort who gave of their time to make this donation a reality. ”

Captions:

Header: Students from the Enid Capron Primary School celebrate with items received from the Beaches Turks and Caicos and the Sandals Foundation team in the Pack for Purpose initiative at the school recently

1st Insert: Students at the Enid Capron Primary School were active in showing their creative skills to Beaches Turks and Caicos resort Public Relations Coordinator Emmathanael Thervenin and a guest at the school during a Reading Road Trip activity.

2nd Insert: Thelma Lightbourne Primary School principal Robin Cox-Foster (left) accepts Sandals Foundation Pack for a Purpose educational material from Beaches Turks and Caicos resort and Sandals Foundation leader Orville Morgan at the institution recently.

3rd Insert: Leaders from the BEST Institute along with Beaches Turks and Caicos resort Public Relations Manager Orville Morgan were all smiles as they celebrate another Sandals Foundation Pack for a Purpose initiative at the institution

By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media

Monday, October 13, 2025 — Nassau, The Bahamas – What began as a calm holiday meeting has spiraled into a full-blown standoff between The Bahamas Government and two of the country’s most powerful public sector unions — the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) and the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) — after the Prime Minister abruptly cancelled follow-up talks set for Tuesday, blaming public comments made by union leaders.

The announcement of the cancelled meeting came late Monday, just hours after a tense sit-down at the Office of the Prime Minister, held on National Heroes Day, where both BUT President Belinda Wilson and BPSU President Kimsley Ferguson accused the government of dragging its feet on salary increases and retroactive pay owed to thousands of public officers.

Wilson, never one to mince words, said the Prime Minister’s “technical officers” — the very people responsible for executing his instructions — were failing to carry out his directives regarding payment timelines.

“The Prime Minister’s issue,” Wilson said, “is that he has persons working for him who are not following his instructions. If those officers would follow through on what he told them to do, we wouldn’t be here today.”

Wilson added that the BUT and other unions are demanding retroactive pay dating back to September 2024, and that all increases be applied and paid by the October payday, not December as previously stated by the Prime Minister.

“Senior civil servants already received their retroactive pay — thousands of dollars — backdated to September of last year,” Wilson charged. “We’re saying the small man deserves the same. This isn’t a gift. It’s money already earned.”

Her comments came after the government publicly insisted that the salary adjustments would be implemented by December 2025, just ahead of Christmas — a timeline unions flatly reject as too slow.

Ferguson: ‘No More Excuses’

Following Wilson, BPSU President Kimsley Ferguson delivered a fiery statement of his own, telling reporters the unions would no longer tolerate delays or mixed messages from the Davis administration.

“The Prime Minister was receptive — but we’re not accepting excuses,” Ferguson said. “If the Prime Minister’s having a memory lapse, we have the Hansard from Parliament to remind him exactly what he promised public officers.”

Ferguson went further, warning that if Tuesday’s meeting failed to produce results, unions would “visit the House of Assembly” and intensify their campaign for immediate payment.

“Public servants, ready yourselves,” he declared. “We are prepared to stand together — all across The Bahamas — until our needs are met.”

Now, with the Prime Minister cancelling tomorrow’s talks altogether, that threat appears closer to becoming reality.

Government Bungles Response

Observers say the administration’s handling of the matter has been confused and contradictory, with conflicting statements on payment timelines and poor communication fueling frustration among teachers, nurses, and general public officers.

The government has maintained that the funds are allocated and will be disbursed before year’s end, but unionists insist they’ve heard it all before — and this time they want results, not promises.

The Prime Minister’s decision to cancel the meeting, rather than clarify or de-escalate tensions, has drawn sharp criticism across social media and among rank-and-file civil servants who see the move as punitive and dismissive.

Slowdown and the Threat of Another Mass Protest

Across several ministries, departments, and schools, reports are already surfacing of a go-slow in the public service, as workers express solidarity with the unions’ demands.

Many believe another mass demonstration is imminent, similar to the one staged last week Tuesday when thousands of workers gathered outside the House of Assembly on Bay Street as Parliament reopened after summer recess.

That protest brought parts of downtown Nassau to a standstill as union members sang, marched, and even sat in the street — a powerful show of defiance that now threatens to repeat itself unless the government moves quickly to resolve the impasse.

A Political Flashpoint

What began as a straightforward salary dispute has now evolved into a test of credibility and competence for the Davis administration. With a restless public sector, rising inflation, and unions unified across professions, the government risks not only another protest — but a full-blown industrial crisis heading into the year’s end.

For now, the unions are standing firm: they want retroactive pay from September 2024 and full salary adjustments by this October. Anything less, they warn, could push the country’s workforce from a slowdown into open confrontation.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.