By: Yolanda Pawar
The Centre for Training & Innovation (CTI) is proud to announce the successful graduation of 57 students from CTI-HITS (Centre for Training & Innovation-Harbour Island Trade School). This landmark event took place on February 7, 2025, at The Methodist Church, Dunmore Street, Harbour Island, where family, friends, and community members gathered to celebrate the graduates’ accomplishments.
Guest speaker Ben Simmons, and proprietor of Little Island Hotels, which encompasses several hi-end boutique hotels in North Eleuthera, including The Other Side, The Ocean View, The Farm, and coming soon, The Current, shared valuable insights from his personal and professional life. He urged the students to embrace future challenges as opportunities for learning and self-improvement. He advised, “Your greatest obstacle is your last success and your greatest lesson is your biggest failure.” His powerful message reinforced the importance of continual development and goal setting and the resilience needed to overcome obstacles on the road to success.
Certification Secured!
The graduating cohort received professional certificates in various courses, including Basic Carpentry, Basic Culinary, Introduction to Computers, Entrepreneurship 101: Doing Business in The Bahamas, QuickBooks 1 with Accounting and Electrical Installation 1. The CTI-HITS courses provided students with theoretical learning and practical, hands-on training to enhance their skills and contribute to the development of Eleuthera’s workforce.
Keyron Smith, President and CEO of OEF and CTI, congratulated the graduates, saying, “Today is not just about recognizing your hard work and dedication; it’s about celebrating the kind of people you’re becoming.” He emphasized the broader impact of education, stating, “We’re not just empowering students with skills; we’re building better citizens and inspiring problem solvers who will take our communities, industries, and island forward.”
Students also had the opportunity to share personal reflections and highlights of their learning experiences. Walcott Miller (Electrical Installation 1), Kadian Newton (Basic Culinary), Marilyn Lafleur (Basic Carpentry), Kamera Cartwright (QuickBooks 1 with Accounting), and Lana Barry Cash and Stephanie Johnson (Entrepreneurship 101) shared their heartfelt thoughts. The common theme that resonated was the newfound confidence, capacity and camaraderie experienced by the graduates. Course instructors, Steven Galanis, Peter Mitchel, Recarra Dean, and Graham Walker were on
hand to show support and encouraged the students to continue investing in themselves and their advancement.
Celebration of Academic Success
The CTI-HITS 2025 graduation ceremony celebrated academic success and the graduates’ determination and perseverance. For three months, many students had to balance work, family responsibilities, and study schedules. Whether learning the art of carpentry, perfecting culinary techniques, delving into entrepreneurship, or mastering electrical installation, the graduates exhibited a spirit of excellence and promise in their chosen disciplines.
Since 2015, CTI has provided scholarships and trained over 500 students on Eleuthera, most of whom would not have had access to post-secondary education. Powered by One Eleuthera Foundation, CTI’s nationally accredited, NAECOB-approved programs, short courses, and workshops have fostered economic growth by empowering students to contribute significantly to their households, communities, and local businesses.
CTI-HITS is a satellite school of CTI that provides training for students from Harbour Island and North Eleuthera. The main CTI training campus in Rock Sound caters to students from Central and South Eleuthera. Graduation ceremonies for South campus students will take place in the summer. Another forty to fifty graduates are expected to join the ranks.
As communities become hubs of skilled professionals and thriving enterprises, people prosper, and Eleuthera experiences positive economic growth and a rising tide effect. To sponsor a student or cohort, visit www.oneeleuthera.org/donate or email, info@oneeleuthera.org.
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Established in 2012, the One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) is a people-centered, non-profit organization founded to strengthen, connect and sustainably develop people and communities across the island of Eleuthera. OEF aims to further the island’s economic, environmental, educational, health, cultural, and social development while creating a thriving, inclusive, and equitable community-driven model for other islands and Small Island Developing States. For more information, visit: www.oneeleuthera.org
The Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI) is Eleuthera’s first and only postsecondary, non-profit education and training institution and social enterprise. As the education arm of One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF), CTI’s mission is to develop students through education and technical training, empowering them to succeed and contribute meaningfully to Elethera’s development.
