The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A COVID-19 start-up is aiming to expand into the Caribbean within a year of next month’s launch, its president said yesterday.

Lisa R. McCartney, president of the Online Training Authority, told Tribune Business her “COVID-baby” was launched in response to the difficulties many Bahamians endured in seeking qualified instructors and trainers during the COVID-19 lockdown. That period saw many individuals revert to home schooling and long-distance learning.

“Basically, we’ll be open for business this October,” she said. “I’ve been home-schooling for over 16 years, and I’m on the board of the Bahamas Home School Association. What used to happen is I would often get a lot of calls, and people would Facebook me or recommend me on Facebook for someone looking for a tutor. Or they are looking for a curriculum or they want someone to home school their child, and they would ask me to assist.”

Last summer, after seeing the level of interest in online training resources, Ms McCartney said: “It was a God-inspired idea because it came when I was listening to someone talk about creating income during the pandemic.

Amid all the questions about finding the perfect tutor, coach, trainer or curriculum, Ms McCartney said she wondered if there was anything in The Bahamas that linked these services together. After a brief survey she found there was nothing, so she started her own website as a “marketing tool” for trainers of all types.

Ms McCartney added: “Right now there is no place that provides a home for the trainer as a coach. When everything moved online, these trainers were trying to connect with their clients and you have clients looking for trainers and coaches and tutors, and these people were just not connecting.

“With the Online Training Authority (OTA) that’s what we do. We help trainers connect with learners. We are just loading trainers on to our website, which is active right now, so what you will see in preparation for our initial soft launch is demo trainers.”

The OTA is offering the first 30 days free to all trainers who sign on to the platform. After that they will be charged a monthly fee. “What we do is all of the marketing and all of the promotions, because we understand building a website is costly and not everyone has the resources to spend upwards of $3,000 for a website for themselves,” Ms McCartney said.

In the upcoming days, registration of tutors, coaches and trainers, particularly in the Bahamas and Caribbean region, will begin. A complete profile, including a picture, brief description of an area of expertise, and contact information are required to complete successful enrollment.

Ms McCartney said: “We’re encouraging trainers of all walks of life, or anywhere in The Bahamas and Caribbean. Because now everything is worldwide now, we have to create the platform for a worldwide audience, so if you are in Jamaica you can sign up to the website and market your training services. This will also develop into a ‘training the trainers’ platform as well.”