The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie says the Grand Bahama Shipyard’s Apprenticeship Programme is a “win-win” training initiative that should serve as a model for other companies to emulate in the Bahamas.

While attending the shipyard’s 11th annual apprenticeship graduation at the Grand Lucayan Resort on Thursday evening, Mr Christie commended the company for its role in producing highly-skilled and trained Bahamians for the country’s labour force.

Six apprentices - including five males - completed the four-year programme and received certification in their various chosen areas, mechanical, planning, welding, technical, and pipe fitting. Forty-one new apprentices are enrolled in different phases of the programme.

“I congratulate the management of the Grand Bahama Shipyard for this carefully crafted and meaningful initiative aimed at training young people for the workplace and in the workplace,” Mr Chrisiie said.

“This is what can be described as a “win-win” situation or, put another way, an initiative that is mutually rewarding and beneficial, both for the Grand Bahama Shipyard and for the students and ultimately this effort will provide a skilled cadre of technological trained persons who will move not only the Grand Bahama community forward but the Bahamas as a whole,” he said.

“This is a commendable exercise and I have come this evening to show the support and appreciation of the government of The Bahamas for this type of training and educational development and to hold it up as a model that other companies, be they industrial or commercial, touristic, financial or otherwise can follow and emulate, not only here in Grand Bahama but all across the Bahamas.”

Mr Christie noted that countries such as China, Singapore, Malaysia and India have moved to the forefront of world economic and social status due “a perfected model” of government-private sector co-operation producing a skilled workforce that is productive, competitive and adaptable. “This is why I hold out this particular initiative as one that is so commendable,” he said of the shipyard’s apprenticeship programme.

He told the six graduates - Waylonte Bartlett, Jelan Delancy, Anthoniqua Duncanson, Shaquille Pinder, Roshad Rolle and Kadeem Watson - that they have been given an opportunity to begin a career with a stable and reliable employer.

“This is a life changing moment,” he said. “You will now have an opportunity to prove yourself; you must show yourself approved and certified to do what a few years ago would have had to be done by foreign labour.”

He also told the 41 apprentices to view the exposure as the opportunity of a lifetime … to achieve their goals.

“In my view, this is a generous token of the goodwill of the company and of their ardent desire to train and recruit the best. I note with interest as well, that the Grand Bahama Shipyard has entered into a new partnership with the College of the Bahamas which will enable the apprentices to obtain an Associate Degree in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Technology.”

Mr Christie stressed that the nation needs to grow its human resources capacity in a multi-dimensional way if the Bahamas is to remain competitive in an increasingly competitive and global world. “We have been taking a haphazard approach to developing our skills bank and to our human development needs but we can learn from the model adopted by the Grand Bahama Shipyard that through careful planning and a proactive approach we can do and must do better in preparing our workforce,” he said.

“For us at the government level, this is very important as we seek to attract investment. One of the first conditions for any successful investment is whether there is a qualified work force is in place to make the investment effective.”

He said that the government is pursuing an additional training institution with Mediterranean Shipping Company, a partner in the Container Port, for the establishment of a marine academy in Freeport with a view to providing trained crews of Bahamians to join their fleet and ultimately qualify as crew on other ships.

“The Bahamas is the largest cruise destination in the region but there are very few Bahamian crews and employees on board these cruise ships. We need to initiate a paradigm shift by facilitating and encouraging on an ongoing basis our young people to embrace these new employment opportunities,” the Prime Minister said.

Waylonte Bartlett received the 2015 Most Outstanding Apprentice Award; Third-year apprentice Samson Hield won the Manager’s Award; Fourth-year apprentice Edwin Simms took the Most Outstanding Achievement Award in Logistics; Third-year apprentice Tommy Outten received the CEO Award; Fourth-year apprentice Tremaine Jones won the Most Improved Award; and graduate apprentice Roshad Rolle received the Most Outstanding Award in Technical. Two-year apprentices Justin Black, Coshanda Hield and Owen Hepburn received the Academic Award for obtaining 90 per cent and above in 11 subject areas.