GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas — “We cannot build a grand island, without a grand workforce.”
Those were the words of Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey during her keynote speech to graduates of the National Training Agency (NTA) Cohort 20, at a special ceremony on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The graduation took place at Pelican Bay Resort.
The NTA’s program is a mandatory workforce preparatory program and practical skills training. The 14-week program started with soft skills, which includes basic office skills and evolved into their respective preparatory programs such as culinary foundations and customer service.
Within her exhortation Minister Moxey told the 13 graduates that they are officially the key components to the engine of Grand Bahama’s and of the nation’s progress.
“Individually, you have fundamentally shifted your trajectory. You walked into this program as seekers of opportunity, and you are here today as qualified, certified assets,” said Minister Moxey. “You did the heavy lifting and earned the right to command the arena. And that is an undeniable reality.
“As Minister for Grand Bahama, I can tell you with absolute certainty that your achievement stretches far beyond personal success. This milestone matters deeply for the destiny of Grand Bahama Island, because economic transformation is not an abstract concept. It is of human enterprise. We are not merely rebuilding broken infrastructure or recovering lost ground. We are aggressively redefining our presence on a global scale.”
Minister Moxey reminded the graduates of the over $3.5 billion worth of investments presently taking place in Grand Bahama, noting that the island is “on the move”, opening opportunities for the graduates. She encouraged them to put themselves in the midst of all that is taking place and determine how best they can benefit from the various projects taking place on the island.
Such benefits she said can come in the form of job opportunities or even entrepreneurial opportunities.
“But you have to think along those lines,” she added. “I hold a fierce conviction for this island and I will declare it until it is etched into the bedrock of our minds. That Grand Bahama is the home of maritime and logistics, the home of events and entertainment, and the home of innovation.
“We are engineering for a future where global container ships dock at world class ports, where our distinct culture drives a premier entertainment ecosystem and where tech driven ideas solve real world problems. I must also make you aware of the young innovator club that we are developing and the opportunities that will come from that. I am the Cabinet Chairperson for the initiative Innovate 242 to ensure that Grand Bahama becomes the center of sustainability and also that The Bahamas becomes the center for innovation for the entire Caribbean.
“On Grand Bahama Island, we are going to be piloting some very innovative solutions for some of the challenges that we face and I see you graduates playing a major role in that. But a vision remains but a blueprint without builders. And you are those builders.
“Our industrial sectors need your technical expertise to compete internationally, our hospitality sector needs your creative energy to captivate the world, our innovation hubs need your fresh, uncompromised perspective to disrupt the status quo.”
The Grand Bahama Minister reminded the graduates that global markets do not reward timidness but instead reward flawless execution and unapologetic excellence.
“When you go into those businesses, boardrooms and industrial spaces command your room through the sheer weight of your competence. Let your work ethics speak so loudly that your presence becomes indispensable to the survival and growth of that enterprise. You must carry the economic momentum of this entire island with your determination.
“When Grand Bahama rises it will do so because you chose to rise first. And your enrollment and competition of this program is your way of rising to the occasion and preparing for the opportunities ahead.”
(BIS Photos/Andrew Miller)
