The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

DEMAND for the government’s Upskill Bahamas programme has exceeded expectations, with officials now seeking to expand capacity to meet the growing interest, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said on Friday.

The platform, launched in November, offers more than 40 courses from over 30 institutions, allowing Bahamians aged 16 and older to study fields including technology, business, finance, health, marketing, hospitality, foreign languages, artificial intelligence and skilled trades, and earn certificates at no cost.

Mr Davis said the programme was capped at 8,000 participants, but registrations have exceeded that limit and negotiations are now underway to increase capacity by a further 5,000.

“The response has been strong: over 8,000 Bahamians registered, 27 courses started, and over 2,000 applications came from the Family Islands. Those numbers tell a story. They tell the story of a people who are hungry for forward movement,” he said during a press conference.

The programme is run by Forte Global, contracted by the government to connect learners with training providers.

“The max we signed up for was 8,000. We very quickly went over above that,” Mr Davis said, “And so we we are now in negotiations to expand that 8,000 to another 5,000 and as demand increases, we are committing ourselves to increasing the quota of persons who could be engaged in it and we must remember that is free, and the government is footing the bill for all of that.”

Officials said registrants span a wide age range, with some over 60 years old. The highest demographic of participants are women in their 30s, while the most popular offerings are entrepreneurship and marketing courses.

Bahamas Academy student Orion Dean, 17, who is enrolled in an artificial intelligence course and has completed about 30 percent of the course, described the programme as a valuable learning experience so far.

He said he wanted to learn more about AI because of its wide-reaching impact on students, adding that the course helps participants understand how to use the technology responsibly and integrate it effectively into classrooms.

“I’m in school and I could see my peers using AI in their everyday life, so I realized that if students are using this now, imagine later on in the future when I would become a teacher, or if someone else become a teacher, and they come into the classroom.”

Shaquille Hepburn, a 32-year-old police officer, is another registrant, currently enrolled in Power BI and SQL courses. He said the programme empowers him to turn raw data into actionable insights.

Asked how he balances work and study, Hepburn said it’s all about being intentional, which motivates him to take advantage of every opportunity that comes his way.

Danielle Miller, an event planner, said she signed up because she has never been certified in event planning and is enjoying the course so far.

Prime Minister Davis, who met with registrants on Friday, urged participants to finish strong. He encouraged them to wear their certificates with pride and use them to pursue new opportunities.

He said the platform was designed for every Bahamian, from the single mother seeking a better job to the father looking to move from day-to-day work into a more stable career.

He also urged those who have been procrastinating to start learning without delay.

“Go to opphub.gov.bs. Look at what is available. Pick one course that fits your life. Start - because the hardest part is deciding that you matter enough to invest in,” he said.

Upskill Bahamas was first announced in the 2025/26 budget and is a centrepiece of the Davis administration’s push to expand digital learning.