At a recent convocation, the honors students of Bahamas Baptist Community College (BBCC) had the benefit of the sage advice of Sir Baltron B. Bethel, veteran educator, leader in tourism and hospitality and current president of BBCC.
Sir Baltron brought to the students' attention that, on graduation, they would face global competition for jobs. "In due course, you honorees and other students will be graduating with degrees from the Bahamas Baptist Community College and various universities. Your expectations will then be that you would more readily be able to obtain good jobs and to pursue meaningful careers. I would be remiss, however, if I failed to advise you of the increasing competition you will face both locally and abroad to meeting these expectations," Sir Baltron said.
From his own experiences in operating at the higher levels of the international marketplace, Sir Baltron offered a clarification. "While organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO) are designed to enhance world trade and economic opportunities, there are additional implications of increased competition for employment with nationals of other countries, including free movement or less restriction between countries of many categories of professionals and skilled labor. "Despite the best efforts of governments to ensure that their nationals are given first preference in employment and economic opportunities, the reality is that they will be constrained or tempered in doing so, by international, regional, or bi-lateral treaty obligation. This will become more apparent as The Bahamas soon becomes a full member of WTO, and is coerced more and more for various strategic and policy reasons into the orbit of regional, hemispheric and international blocs."
Students were told of the contribution they were expected to make as top graduates. "We shall also be looking to you as honor students to play a meaningful role in addressing the great dilemma of mediocrity, which we face in Bahamian society, and the attitude of resting on the laurels of past accomplishments," the former director general of tourism said. Sir Baltron congratulated students for their achievements, and praised the faculty for the role they played is assisting the students.
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