NASSAU, The Bahamas – During his Official Remarks at the Opportunity Hub, held at the Nassau Village Community Centre, on January 23, 2026, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis stated that, if he did his job right that morning, those in attendance would leave as excited as he was “about the path forward, for our country, and for all of you”.
“It’s not that I don’t see the challenges and potential disruptions we face – I do – we all do;” he said. “But what is different is that we are finally facing the right direction.”
He added: “We worked hard to move from crisis to recovery. Now we’re working to create something new: an economy that includes everyone. That means we need to create thousands more opportunities – and good ones.”
Among those present was Minister of Labour and Public Service the Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle.
Prime Minister Davis pointed out that they all needed more “ladders” that lead more Bahamians up to success.
“You know, I know what it’s like, to start up that ladder – and then you see a few rungs missing,” he said. “You feel like you don’t know the right things or the right people, you worry you never will.”
He added: “You can’t see how you’re supposed to go any further. I never want our people to stop there. That’s why we’re not only investing in infrastructure – in new airports and docks and solar panels and more. We’re investing in Bahamians – in 21st century skills and education, in grants and training and financing – so that ladder you’re climbing isn’t missing any rungs; and you can climb as high as your talent and hard work will get you.”
Prime Minister Davis noted that every Bahamian deserved a fair chance to “reach their God-given potential”.
“It’s hard to overstate how important the National Apprenticeship Programme is going to be, in expanding high-quality opportunities for Bahamians,” he said.
He added: “For a long time, we have needed more and better pathways that lead from school to work. Bahamian companies are looking to hire employees with the right experience – but if you’re just starting out, how do you get that experience in the first place?”
Prime Minister Davis pointed out that Apprenticeships can be a big part of the solution. The Opportunity Hub that day focused on the National Apprenticeship Programme.
“Everyone who has been an apprentice – as I was, as I indicated [earlier in his remarks] – knows how meaningful it can be to learn on the job, and earn money while building skills, ” he said. “Apprenticeships shaped the careers of many leaders in our country, in the private and public sector, including Minister Pia Glover-Rolle.”
“Our apprenticeship programme gives participants important work experience and accredited training, so employers get staff who are ready to contribute, and young people get a chance to succeed, including in some of the most high-demand industries in the country,” he added. “It’s true that the world is changing quickly – but Bahamians are as capable as anyone else of navigating the accelerating changes.”
Prime Minister Davis stated that change was inevitable, and “progress is something we need to achieve”.
“If we want to turn change into progress in our country – and if we want as many Bahamians as possible to be part of that progress – we need to create all kinds of opportunities,” he said.
Prime Minister Davis pointed out that, along with the Apprenticeship Programme, there were many new or expanded initiatives to support Bahamian ambition and success.
He said: “From health care to fly-fishing to cybersecurity to renewable energy – there’s a place for you. Or maybe you want to be part of our growing agriculture sector – or you want to be an entrepreneur – or you want to attend our country’s first performing arts school – there are new opportunities in all of these fields.”
“Participation at BAMSI is at record levels, and we are making major new investments in BTVI – expanding skilled trades training in New Providence and bringing BTVI to some of the Family Islands like Abaco, Eleuthera, and Exuma,” Prime Minister Davis added.
He noted that Upskill Bahamas programme offered training and certificates from “the world’s top universities and training institutes”.
“Eleven thousand (11,000) Bahamians have registered, and that number keeps growing,” Prime Minister Davis stated.
“We will keep expanding capacity, because opportunity should never be limited by access,” he added.
Prime Minister Davis noted that those numbers told a story.
“Bahamians aren’t waiting for the future to happen to them,” he said. “They are working to shape their own futures.”
“Every Opportunity Hub event we hold shows what happens when people are given a real chance to grow: they show up and take advantage of it,” Prime Minister Davis added. “I expect today will be no different.”
He noted that the National Apprenticeship Programme connected Bahamians to jobs in high-demand industries.
“And although the acronym may be N.A.P., or ‘nap’, let me reassure everyone that the people working on this programme, they are all fully alert, focused on supporting apprentices in completing training, earning certifications, and securing employment,” he said.
Prime Minister Davis added: “When we invest in proper training and create clear pathways to progress, Bahamians excel. I encourage every Bahamian to visit the Opportunity Hub website at opphub.gov.bs – learn, and register, and share the information with your family and friends.”
He encouraged those who did so to not forget to share their feedback back to the programme.
“We want to hear directly from the people these programmes are meant to serve,” Prime Minister Davis stated. “We need to keep working and adapting together as new opportunities emerge.”
He continued: “Initiative by initiative, we are working to fill in the missing rungs on that ladder. Whether you’re looking for a first chance or a second one, a new career or renewed prospects – when you are ready to climb that ladder, you will not be climbing alone.
“We are rooting for you.”
Prime Minister noted that there were moments in history when “change accelerates, and revolutions in opportunity come all at once”.
“I know this might be hard to imagine – in a country where we often have to fight for every step of progress – and then fight to ensure that progress is not canceled or reversed,” he said. “But we really can build a different kind of economy – one in which privilege and gatekeepers matter a lot less, and your skills and creativity and resourcefulness matter a lot more.”
“May God bless all of you, and may we rise to new heights together,” Prime Minister Davis added.
