CTi graduates Embrace a New Beginning and Endless Possibilities

With “new beginnings and endless possibilities” on the horizon, eighteen new graduates of the Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI) welcomed the start of a promising and profitable new year. Equipped with training in Basic Culinary and Massage Therapy, the latest cohort celebrated the completion of their courses in a combined graduation ceremony, attended by supportive family and friends at the CTI Rock Sound campus on December 16th. The event highlighted the hard work and investment made by each student to increase their professional capacity and earning potential for greater success in 2023.

The Massage Therapy course, completed by eleven students, was conducted in partnership with Kenny St. Mark from Studio Massage Institute out of Nassau and taught the participants the fundamentals of massage therapy for improved wellbeing.

Speaking on behalf of her class, Celina McCardy conveyed how the Massage Therapy course would add to her time freedom and growing portfolio of skills, which includes advanced aesthetics and body waxing. “Now I can create my own schedule and spend more time with my kids,” she expressed, “This course has made me a better aesthetician, and now that I am receiving my certificate in massage therapy, I can take that along with my other certifications and grow my own business.”

The Basic Culinary course was a part of CTI’s signature “Learn-and-Earn” Program, which is offered exclusively via the Rock Sound campus and provides students the unique opportunity to earn a weekly stipend during their training. The culinary students gained valuable, real-life experience and put their new skills to the test working at CTI’s farm-to-table training restaurant, Farmer’s Table.

Tervanna Burrows recounted her ex- periences of being challenged to excel in the kitchen, learning the power of teamwork and adjusting to the fast-paced environment of a real restaurant. “Learning to cook new meals, meeting new people and being in the CTI kitchen was a memorable experience,” she recounted, “I now have six new best friends, and I can’t wait to see how we all succeed.”

With certificates in hand, graduates of CTI’s Basic Culinary and Massage Therapy courses are all smiles with Keyron Smith, COO (left).

Addressing the graduates, Mr. Diallo Ingraham, Pastor of the

First Ministry Church, in Tarpum Bay invited all of the graduates to continue pursuing the path of professional and personal development while analysing their environment and recognizing when they need to move onto bigger and better spaces to continue succeeding. He charged them with taking a hands-on approach to their personal development and to keep learning and growing.

He expressed, “Execution is important, enhancement is important, but the right environment is most important. Some of you may spend a lot of time trying to enhance and execute only to find out that you cannot grow and flourish because you are in the wrong environment.” He challenged the students to move beyond their comfort zone and be willing to pursue new environments and vistas for learning, development, and growth.

Congratulating the students on this first step toward a thriving future, Keyron Smith, Chief Operating Officer of OEF and CTI expressed, “Each new cohort of students solidifies One Eleuthera Foundation and CTI’s commitment to providing greater employment, training, and entrepreneurial opportunities for young people across Eleuthera. It is the goal of both organizations to empower and sustainably develop Eleuthera’s people, local communities, and economy, one student and one progressive initiative at a time.”

CTI is the premier tertiary education and training institution in Eleuthera, offering 10-12 week certified vocational courses and short workshops. Students have access to training in Culinary, Hospitality and Housekeeping Management, Carpentry, Construction, Electrical Installation, Introduction to Hydroponics, Beekeeping, and a wide variety of Farming and Agricultural courses.

Courses offerings are expanded regularly and approved by the National Accreditation Equivalency Council of The Bahamas (NAECOB). They 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. For more information on course offerings email: registrar@oneeleuthera.org or call 815-3800.