Nine of the 26 graduates from the very first cohort of young adults to complete the pilot National Training Agency’s soft skills  course in Eleuthera, stand with local trainers and presenters, administrators, and NTA leaders, following their graduation ceremony held in Rock Sound on Thursday, November 19th, 2015.

The graduates pictured are: (Back row) Brian Cooper, Kendrick Miller, Carlos Swann, Latera Connolly &  Dreanna Roberts. (2nd Row with certificates,  Theresa Hunt, Mareo Ferguson,Lashanta Stuart & Jasmine Brown

The NTA leaders pictured include: Director, Agatha Marcelle (seated center);  Chairperson, Elizabeth Keju (seated left); and Assistant Director, Kalin Griffin (seated right). Also pictured with the graduates are: Administrator Margaret Symonette (front left); Presenter Danielle Gibson – Airport Manager (2nd from front left) ; Administrator Joseph Ferguson (2nd row far right); and Presenter Debbie Young (Ministry of Tourism) (front row far right).

(Rock Sound, Eleuthera, Bahamas) – The first 26 trainees in the National Training Agency (NTA), job preparation programme in Eleuthera received their certificates on 19 November, during a ceremony held at Fountain of Life Kingdom Ministries in Rock Sound, South Eleuthera.

“We are pleased that 26 trainees participated in this pioneer session,” said NTA Executive Director Agatha Marcelle.

Marcelle revealed that the trainees completed four weeks of the NTA’s signature Mandatory Workforce Preparatory Programme which is soft or behavioral, attitudinal skills training coupled with ten weeks of practical skills training/ internship.

“It’s an innovative and comprehensive programme that offers trainees a range of attractive opportunities,” Marcelle said. “It is an efficient way to address several societal challenges at the same time. The programme provides aspiring young Bahamians who may have fallen through the academic cracks of formal education and were unable to achieve sustainable certification a chance to improve their own skills set and knowledge.”

She thanked the internship providers, noting that as of today 4 of the 26 trainees have found employment: one with Bahamas Striping, one with Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina one with Cotton Bay Resort and one with the Cove.

“In NTA I learned that to change myself I first had to know what I wanted to accomplish in life,” said Teiko Moss, the trainee recently hired at Bahamas Striping. Growing up, I had few struggles.  When I was accepted for the programme, I had a chance to make a change for myself — and for other young Bahamians. Now I have realized that everything is up to me, and that if I don’t put in 100 percent, I have no one to blame but myself. My past does not define my future. I have to work for what I want.”

The NTA training programme in Eleuthera began on 29 June and concluded on 4 September. 

To date, almost 2,000 young Bahamians between the ages of sixteen and twenty-six have graduated from the NTA job preparation programme. The job preparation programme is offered in Nassau, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera and Exuma.