Advance Auto Paint & Supplies (AAPS) in collaboration with The Bahamas Technical & Vocational Institute (BTVI) and U.S. Chemical & Plastic will host a paint workshop at BTVI at 4:00pm on Saturday, February 6th. AAPS will use the institute as a resource for training and providing workshop for paint technicians in the area.

“AAPS is looking to become a valued partner with BTVI,” said Sean Adderley, Public Relations Officer at BTVI. “They will help us with resources and we will give them every opportunity to hire our best students.”

“This is an excellent opportunity for persons to learn first-hand the latest in technology from the manufacturers themselves”, said Ariel Smith Manager at AAPS.

Written by: Bahamas Information Services

Minister of Education the Hon Desmond Bannister said after he recently visited the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) to see first-hand the campus and speak with students and staff about the BTVI experience, he is truly impressed by what he saw and feels certain that BTVI is moving in the right direction.

“The right direction for BTVI is the achievement of accreditation status so that students can feel confident that the training they receive at BTVI meets international standards and can take them anywhere in the world,” Minister Bannister said. He was addressing the executives and staff of BTVI and their partners and supporters at an Appreciation Dinner at the British Colonial Hilton, Wednesday, January 21, 2010.

Minister Bannister said the occasion presented stakeholders with an opportunity to celebrate and assess the success of the BTVI’s component of the Bahamas Support Program for Transforming Education and Training. “On behalf of the Ministry of Education, I would like to express sincere gratitude to Daytona State College for its role in advancing this project which has tremendous benefits for the citizens of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” Minister Bannister added.

“You have – and over the course of the next three years – greatly assisted us in answering the call of the business industry for an increased and technically-trained workforce who is equipped to fulfil their needs,” he said. “You are also enabling us to empower citizens to become entrepreneurs; thus being the masters of their own destiny through business ownership.”

Minister Bannister said he understands that the past two years of the project had been dedicated to the restructuring of BTVI to upgrade its program offerings, as well as to align its curricula with that of high schools to ensure a seamless transition for the high school student who wants to take their high school technical and vocational training to the next level. “I also wish to express our gratitude to the Industry Partners who have offered motivational talks and advice to the students,” he added.

“This level of support is very important because students will see the worth in pursuing and being committed to their studies knowing that opportunities exist for them to secure employment or create it for others. “I dare say that there is always room for one more mechanic, computer technician or masseur in this country. The fact is that we have not nearly saturated these areas and therefore we must train more and more persons in these fields.” Minister Bannister said that the program is “just about” at the halfway mark and stakeholders ought to feel pride in what has been accomplished. He also commended all persons being recognized for their contributions to this effort during the past three years.

“I am very optimistic that we will achieve the remainder of the goals and, in the process, make BTVI into a world-class institution and, simultaneously, attain our national objective of empowering our citizens to meet the demands of labour and contribute to the development of The Bahamas,” he said.

Two officials from Daytona State College (DSC) along with a representative from The Bahamas Technical & Vocational Institute (BTVI) on Thursday paid a courtesy call on Education Minister the Hon. Desmond Bannister. They were: Dr. Charles Carroll Vice President for Planning, Development and Institutional Effectiveness and Dr.Theodore J. Sofianos Director, International Operations for Economic Development at DSC, and Dr. Iva Dahl Manager/Consultant at BTVI.

Dr.Carroll, updated the Minister on the current work of the Transformation of BTVI to an accredited Institution, their plans for the upcoming academic year, and the success and challenges they encountered. There was also discussion on plans for an Articulation Agreement for the proposal Daytona State College to offer degree programs at BTVI.

The Education Minister noted that he is more than happy to assist in whatever way he can in his capacity as Minister to advance the cause of the BTVI. He pointed out that building the country's human resource capacity is of paramount importance, hence the need to improve the level of service offered by the institute.

Thursday’s meeting was described as successful, as Dr. Carroll was pleased with the Minister’s enthusiasm and stated commitment to BTVI’s quest to becoming a transformed and restructured institution offering Bahamians alternative education.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” (William Butler Yeats) At the end of this semester, The Bahamas Technical & Vocational Institute (BTVI) says farewell to 7 retiring faculty and staff that helped light that fire for thousands of students throughout the years.

Together, they represent more than 120 years of combined service. They are: Helen Adderley, Shell Craft Instructor -25 years, Paul Allen, Mathematics Department -13 years, Johnathan Bodie, Air Condition & Refrigeration -25 years, Virgil Coakley, Mathematics Department-12 years, Don Bain, Auto Mechanic-13 years, Bernadette Gardiner, Office System and Administration -13 years, and Sylvia Burrows, Custodian -25 years.

The retirees were honored with a luncheon held on Wednesday by the Management and Faculty of BTVI.

"It was our pleasure to honor this year's retirees," said Dr. Iva Dahl, Manager/Consultant. "The retirees represented a group of people with a long history of distinguished careers. These special people have contributed in countless ways to BTVI. "

"It's really exciting to start a new chapter in my life, but it's bittersweet at the same time," Ms. Adderley said. "I'll miss the friends and the students especially. When it comes to students, everybody's on the same wavelength. We're just here to help these young men and women reach their goal of graduating and going out and getting good jobs."

With heartfelt gratitude, BTVI extends best wishes to each of this year’s retirees.

On November 8, 2009, The Bahamas Technical & Vocational Institute (BTVI) was invited to participate in Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) collaboration mission held in Toronto Canada. The Program brought together Canadian Universities and Colleges and their Caribbean and Latin American counterparts with the purpose of creating strong relationships and signing of inter-institutional agreements.

“The objectives of the program is to provide scholarships to future leaders in the Americas and the Caribbean and to expose them to Canadian Academic expertise and resources. The program will also promote post-secondary institutional linkages (long term) research, exchanges and student mobility. ” said Dr. Iva Dahl, Manager/Consultant at BTVI.

The ELAP will award up to 400 new scholarships each year for Latin American and Caribbean students to pursue studies or research in Canada. Students will be afforded the opportunity to study abroad for 4 months for Technical, Vocational undergraduate studies with a grant of $7,000 for travel and living expenses and $10,000 for 6 months research and graduate studies.

The ELAP mission coincided with the 43rd Annual Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) whose theme was Internationalization Effectiveness Strategies for Success. There were over 500 participants from the Canadian Institutions. The ELAP group participated in networking sessions with institutions attending the CBIE conference. BTVI, Lakeland College and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreement to establish relationships for students.

This is the first Memorandum of Understanding between Lakeland College, NAIT and BTVI. The agreement identifies a clear path for students who want to participate in the ELAP Program so that they may experience similar courses at institutions in Canada.

The agreement is a win-win for both institutions. "In these economic times, it is important to give students more experience and more options," Dr. Dahl said. "Not only will our students get an outstanding, affordable education, but they also are guaranteed an opportunity to continue their instruction at other institution if they so desire."

"It's our mission to give students every opportunity to succeed in a globalized marketplace," said Dr. Dahl. "As Northern Alberta Institute of Technology is the largest provider of transfer students in the Technical Educational System of Canada, they are committed to engaging students whose lives have been dynamically changed."

"I am pleased that Lakeland College and NAIT has established a relationship with BTVI," said Student Services Coordinator Raquel Bethel. "Relationships such as these create wonderful opportunities for our students to gain valuable exposure to the international arena and obtain skills that will ultimately build and improve the Bahamian workforce. We applaud Dr. Dahl’s efforts in this regard; consequently, qualified persons will be able to receive scholarship funding from the Government of Canada International Scholarship Program, as it becomes available and for this, we are most appreciative."

"We at NAIT are excited to begin an affiliation that we believe will be very productive for both NAIT and BTVI," said Dr. Paula Burns Associate Vice President Academic Affairs at NAIT. "We look forward to welcoming these new students into our degree programme and providing them with a wide-ranging perspective that will help them understand and integrate core concepts in marketing, management, and technology."

This new agreement is indicative of a trend among public and private colleges that community college students are of high caliber and that Memorandum of Understandings make good sense, according to Sean Adderley, Public Relations Officer.

BTVI students who participate in this study leave at Lakeland College or NAIT will have a great opportunity to benefit from these joint programmatic efforts, shared resources, and other privileges while still enrolled at the institute, including advising assistance.

Some 185 students of The National Training & Retraining Progamme from The Bahamas Technical & Vocational Institute (BTVI) gathered last week to discuss ethics and leadership development under the sponsorship of the Government Initiative Programme.

Human Resource Trainer at The Bahamas Telecommunication Corporation Ms. Rochelle Lightbourne served as motivational speaker and kicked off the first retraining seminar speaking to the students on the importance of leading an ethical lifestyle and how it develops character and sets a precedent for peers to follow.

“Many times, students simply feel overwhelmed by a decision. I help students to learn how to make decisions that are in alignment with their values and goals. I emphasize that they must evaluate their beliefs and if they will like the person they see after the decision,” Lightbourne says.

Lightbourne uses personal life stories to provide enforcement for her seminar. Lightbourne said it is important to identify one's chief end or purpose in life. "You should know your destination before you begin the journey."

She encouraged students to know themselves and examine their lives. "We must remember that we humans have a large capacity for self-deception," she said. Lightbourne said the first step in ethical decision-making is to gather all of the relevant information, make a list of pros and cons, and talk to trusted friends, family members and mentor.

"You need to consider the depth of your friendships," she said. "You need to determine who you're close enough to that would be honest with you and tell you something you might not necessarily want to hear."

“Once students get past their problems and break the whole into pieces they realize how simple making a good decision can be,” Lightbourne says. Lightbourne’s unique upbeat presence captured her audience within moments. Her passion empowered students to realize that, no matter what hardships or struggles they face, they can emerge stronger. Once the more likely alternative is examined in the same fashion and the time of reflection is complete, make a tentative decision, she said. Lightbourne said to consider the thoughts in your head as well as those in your heart.

“I truly appreciate this seminar and the motivation you have given to me,” an audience member said. “Each point you emphasized in your stories and throughout the seminar was right on the issues that we are all facing every day.”

“The objective of the seminar is to provide the students with a terrific opportunity to identify, evaluate, and discuss real-life ethical dilemmas,” said Sean Adderley, Public Relations Officer at BTVI. Mr. Adderley continued by saying “Whatever students learn in this seminar will help them all of their lives. All their other subjects will change with the times.”

The event trailing a most successful two-weeks of Resume Writing & Interviewing Technique Training were coordinated by BTVI’s Student Affairs Department; Raquel Bethel, Coordinator of Student Affairs. “The seminar challenged students' moral reasoning, providing a wonderful networking opportunity, and raised students' awareness of the importance of corporate social responsibility,” says Bethel. “It does little good to educate or train students for skilled professions and leadership roles unless you make an effort to ensure that they have a guiding ethical compass.”

The Bahamas Technical & Vocational Institute (BTVI) offers convenience to students with the launch of the Institute’s student portal called “MY BTVI.” Students have access to a host of academic and administrative information day or night, with an Internet connection and just a few keystrokes.

The portal allows students to check grades, complete registration forms, view class schedules as well as the schedule for the upcoming semester. Kirsti Sears, Data Administrator at BTVI said, the new system takes information distribution to the next level. It helps students streamline the overall administrative process. The portal allows students to view the master schedule, view and print their class schedules and check their grades.

“This is just a better way to serve our students,” Sears said. “It provides a one-stop solution to do so many things. We feel certain that once everyone is familiar with the portal and begins to use it to its full potential, it will become an integral part of the student experience here at BTVI.”

Sears stressed that information from the Institute, including final grades, will be phased out of being provided at the Registrar Office. She said students must visit the “MY BTVI” portal and create a personal account to access that information. BTVI will also have the ability to send out mass e-mails to students granted that they have provided the Institute with a valid email address.

Those who have questions about the Web Portal and its features or need to set up an account can contact our Data Administrator 502-6379.