The Centre for Training and Innovation’s Harbour Island Trade School (CTI-HITS) continues its mission of creating new, sustainable pathways to success for young people in North Eleuthera. On Friday, August 26th, CTI-HITS celebrated the combined graduation of eighteen Basic Culinary and Carpentry graduates. The proud cohort received their professional development certificates at a ceremony held at Wesley Methodist Church on Harbour Island.
Reflecting on his experience as a culinary student, Jethro Beauchamp expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to “level up his skills” without having to “travel overseas”. He thanked his culinary instructors, Chef Susan Neff and Katusia Johnson for their deep commitment and passion for sharing their knowledge and skills. Carpentry student Tavashio Stubbs fondly acknowledged the bond created among his carpentry class over the past twelve weeks noting, “every one of us came here as students, but we left as brothers”. Stubbs gratefully acknowledged the wealth of expertise shared by carpentry instructor, Mr. Graham Walker and thanked him for his patience, and dedication in ensuring each student grasped the various techniques being taught.
Guest speaker, Mrs. Chardel Brown-Gibson, Principal of North Eleuthera High School congratulated the graduates for making the important investment to grow and learn. She encouraged the class to pursue success by becoming “life-long learners,” and to embody their graduation’s theme of “Perfecting our skills, building our future.”
All CTI courses are approved by the National Accreditation Equivalency Council of the Bahamas (NAECOB) and are structured to include both hands-on training with skilled practitioners and traditional classroom learning. Students find the courses to be transformative, allowing them to work alongside their peers to gain valuable knowledge and experience while exploring opportunities that may have otherwise been unavailable to them.
The CTI-HITS team celebrated another major milestone this summer, the official opening of their Harbour Island office. Located at Miss Mae’s Place on Dunmore Street, the office is open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, providing visitor information and student recruitment and support services. Another strategic move to fortify the program includes the recent appointment of Mrs. Sharnette Kemp as the fulltime CTI-HITS Recruitment and Training Coordinator for North Eleuthera.
These new developments come just as the next cohort of CTI-HITS students prepare to embark on their technical training studies in September. Fall courses are open for registration and include Intro to Culinary, Carpentry, and the newly introduced Bartending & Mixology course. Classes will run from late-September to mid-December. Students can learn about available scholarships by visiting the CTI-HITS office on Harbour Island or by emailing registrar@oneeleuthera.org or by calling or messaging 242-815-3800.
As the Centre for Training and Innovation’s satellite school in North Eleuthera, CTI-HITS was specially created to provide technical and vocational training and educational opportunities for students living in the Northern settlements of Harbour Island, Spanish Wells, Current, Upper and Lower Bogue, and Gregory Town. The program exists to help students increase their employability and improve their entrepreneurial opportunities, while promoting professional development and personal empowerment.
Since its inception in 2019, CTI-HITS has trained over one hundred students and continues to evolve offering new, innovative programs and greater student recruitment and support services.
Plans are underway to expand training programs and introduce a series of mini-workshops and short courses based on emerging needs in the Tourism and Hospitality sectors.
Special thanks are extended to the “Friends of HITS Board” for their generosity in providing student scholarships and for their ongoing support in helping facilitate the program’s expansion.
