NASSAU, Bahamas – The Career Institute in the College of The Bahamas’ (COB) Centre for Continuing Education and Extensions Services (CEES) is a “manifestation” of the goals that the Government and COB share, Education Minister the Hon. Carl Bethel said Monday.
These goals, he said, are ensuring that all citizens whose education may have swerved off course to have the opportunity to acquire retraining or a new skills set, so as to be able to adapt, function and compete in a changing world.
“I am pleased that the College of The Bahamas is taking a leadership role in this mission of giving our citizens the hope of a brighter future through the programmes that will be offered,” Minister Bethel said at the Institute’s launch ceremony.
Minister Bethel also commended COB President Janyne Hodder and her team for the “quick response” to the recent lay-offs in the country, by letting displaced workers know that COB was there to help through educational empowerment.
He added that he was also pleased COB took steps to “quell the fears of students” who worried that they would not be able to complete their studies due to financial hardships.
“This is the hallmark of a true national institution, when the people come first and finance is secondary,” Minister Bethel said.
Minister Bethel said COB’s CEES Division has, for many years, quietly served and educated thousands of persons through its professional development programmes. It has done so, he added, without fanfare with many benefitting from the services offered.
“Since 1999, the Continuing Education and Extension Services arm has had a visible and important presence in our Family Islands – namely Abaco, Andros, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama and Inagua,” Minister Bethel said. “I am certain that those communities are better served by this.”
He said he believes that the greater attention placed on vocational and career training by COB will “erase some of the myths and stigma” associated with the educational field. Minister Bethel added that the Career Institute could very well be the catalyst for some students who enroll in a vocational course to want to improve their academics.
“For some time we have operated on the premise that reading, writing and arithmetic come first; but it could very be that those persons who are not rooted in this philosophy may take the route of skills first and academics to follow,” he said.
Captions
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NASSAU, The Bahamas – President of the College of The Bahamas Janyne Hodder speaks at the launch of the college’s Centre for Continuing Education and Extensions Services (CEES) Career Institute, on January 19, 2009. (BIS Photo / Derek Smith)
NASSAU, The Bahamas – Minister of Education the Hon. Carl Bethel speaks at launch of the College of The Bahamas’ (COB) Centre for Continuing Education and Extensions Services (CEES) Career Institute, on January 19, 2009. (BIS Photo/ Derek Smith)
NASSAU, The Bahamas – Minister of Education the Hon. Carl Bethel speaks at launch of the College of The Bahamas’ Centre for Continuing Education and Extensions Services (CEES) Career Institute, on January 19, 2009. (BIS Photo/ Derek Smith)
NASSAU, The Bahamas – Minister of Education the Hon. Carl Bethel speaks to students during the launch of the College of The Bahamas’ Centre for Continuing Education and Extensions Services (CEES) Career Institute, on January 19, 2009. (BIS Photo/ Derek Smith)