A MAN was shot dead in the Carmichael Road area yesterday, bringing the country’s murder count for the first five months of  2017 to 58, according to The Tribune’s records. The murder count is now 14 per cent higher than it was at this point in 2016 when the country had recorded 51 homicides, according to The Tribune’s records...

A MAN was shot dead in the Carmichael Road area yesterday, bringing the country’s murder count for the first five months of  2017 to 58, according to The Tribune’s records.

The murder count is now 14 per cent higher than it was at this point in 2016 when the country had recorded 51 homicides, according to The Tribune’s records...

 

 

POLICE officers are expected to begin receiving the first instalment of their long-sought overtime pay today. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest confirmed to The Tribune yesterday that the provisions were made for their payments to begin today...

POLICE officers are expected to begin receiving the first instalment of their long-sought overtime pay today.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest confirmed to The Tribune yesterday that the provisions were made for their payments to begin today...

 

New Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd did not mince words regarding his views on technical vocational education and training (TVET), which he said serves as the core discipline in the efficiency of any society.
"Stop disrespecting technical and vocational education and training," said Lloyd at the recent Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute's (BTVI) recent commencement exercise held at the Melia Nassau Beach resort.
"One ambition of mine is to help us raise the esteem that technical vocational education and training has in our society. There is genius in every vocation," he stated.
Lloyd, who himself completed a certificate in carpentry at the institution, said he has the utmost respect for BTVI. He said any society would come to a halt without a copious cohort of technicians, and that it is the intention of the government to increase investment in TVET.
BTVI's New Providence campus graduated 210 students from various trades, including auto mechanics, carpentry, electrical installation, fashion, business office technology and heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
The education minister said that as the economy further develops, the labor market is becoming even more specialized, and, as a result, there is an increased demand for employees with specific skills training.
"Many of you graduates will soon be called upon to fill some of these needs and I am sure that your training at BTVI has provided you with confidence, expertise and overall preparedness," said Lloyd.
With that, Lloyd said it is the government's intention to increase investment in TVET in high schools in the near future.
"When that comes into existence, it is my hope that eventually students entering BTVI would already possess enough of the basics in their technical areas from the high school and middle school, so by the time they come to BTVI, they come to master those skills," said Lloyd.
BTVI President Dr. Robert W. Robertson said during his address that the institution is preparing the next generation of innovators.
"This falls in line with the thrust to bolster human capital outcomes. A skilled workforce supports economic growth and a better quality of life for our people. Hence, BTVI is key to providing skilled labor. Class of 2017, your skills are critical to the development of the Bahamian economy," said Dr. Robertson.
Fulbright scholar and entrepreneur Dr. James (Jim) Dever from Florida State University lauded BTVI for experiential learning, which he said is the purest form of education.
Dr. Dever encouraged the graduates to fine-tune their skill sets by making learning a lifelong pursuit and to consider opening their own businesses.
"Set yourselves apart, and please use your talents. You have proven you have the brains. Find your competitive edge, but never chase money. With success comes money," he said.
The New Providence and Grand Bahama commencement ceremonies were powered by Aliv. Aliv recently entered into a three-year, $30,000 partnership with BTVI that will assist with the school's commencement exercises into 2019.
Aliv provided $10,000 for this month's graduation exercises on New Providence and Grand Bahama, as well as graduate of excellence cash awards for the top students on both islands. The awardee for New Providence was fashion student Dellrene Thompson and on Grand Bahama, office assistant student Katushka McIntosh, both of whom were awarded $500.
The Faculty Excellence Award went to Anthony Ramtulla.

Speak with Traven Cargill on any occasion and he will enthusiastically share his rich and diverse experiences as a student of the University of The Bahamas (UB), telling stories of leadership, volunteerism, sacrifice and camaraderie.
A candidate for graduation in UB's inaugural spring 2017 commencement class, Cargill is one of the leaders for life that the institution has been helping to cultivate over its four-decade history, ever since it was the College of The Bahamas (COB). He will soon join the ranks of over 17,000 alumni.
Cargill enrolled at COB in the fall of 2013 after graduating as head boy of Queen's College (QC). As an active member of the Student Government Association (SGA) at UB, he serves as senator for the chemistry, environmental and life sciences academic unit as well as deputy senate speaker. He has also represented the institution as a student ambassador in multiple fora as a proud champion for UB. He was a spokesperson for the institution on radio and television and has also served as event moderator for several of the university's signature events.
"I must admit, things didn't go very smoothly during my first semester, but it ended up working out in my favor," said Cargill. "The unfavorable experiences helped me grow, because it helped me to realize that things will not always go as planned and you have to learn to adapt."
His love of the sciences is "in full bloom" and he always knew that he wanted to be a science teacher, but was often discouraged. Initially, he considered becoming a high school teacher, but was often told he should become a doctor. When he became a student of UB, he solidified his consuming passion for teaching and decided that he wanted to teach at the tertiary level. The seminal moment came once he took BIO223 -- a microbiology class dedicated to the study of organisms that contribute to illnesses.
"I took microbiology and fell in love with it. That's when I realized that I wanted to teach again, but now at the university level."
He credits his former professor, Dr. Kenya Ward, for inspiring him and hopes to have that same level of influence in his future career as a university professor.
"I hope to inspire students the same way she inspired and positively influenced me. She opened my mind to the world of possibilities and provided exposure I never imagined existed," he said.
Chartered on November 10 at the zenith of its transition from the College of The Bahamas, UB conferred more than 700 degrees, diplomas and certificates during its inaugural commencement ceremony on May 25 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. Cargill was there to witness the historical charter ceremony held last November, and he will be on the front lines of another historical period for the institution later this month.
"It was a great feeling," he said, of witnessing the charter ceremony. "It took me back to the day in QC when the (COB) recruitment team visited my high school and one of their pitches was that we would be graduating from the University of The Bahamas. To know that assertion was becoming a reality was life-changing," he notes with pride.
So, what's next for Cargill? He hopes to spend the next year working to gain experience and take a break from school. Eventually, he hopes to complete his master's degree in microbiology and a doctorate in either immunology or infectious diseases.
Proud of the impeccable quality of instruction he has received at UB and his many educational experiences, Cargill is looking forward to the day when he returns to his alma mater to contribute to its growth and development and the country that he loves so dearly.