By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cisco Systems to lay the education foundation for its technology hub ambitions, a Cabinet minister said yesterday.

Senator Kwasi Thompson, minister of state for Grand Bahama, in his national address said the long-touted agreement would see Cisco help the Government develop a so-called Innovation Centre in partnership with the University of The Bahamas' northern campus.

"Cisco will also facilitate best practices and technical guidance in order to assist the Government of The Bahamas in building an information and communications technology (ICT) hub as well as to jointly work on marketing events, both domestic and international, and campaigns to position the ICT hub," he added.

"Through the existing Networking Academy Programme, Cisco will assist in training 100 software developers to build in-country talent based on Cisco standards which are recognised around the globe.

"Also, those participants can access Cisco's Talent Bridge platform in order to identify possible job openings on Cisco and some of its partners. CISCO and BTVI (Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute) have already began the training for this programme, and applications will be available in December for the launch date in January."

The Government's efforts to establish Grand Bahamas as a so-called "technology hub", unveiled with much fanfare in the post-2017 general election "Speech from the Throne", appear to have stalled with the Cisco MoU a seeming attempt to revive it.

Mr Thompson conceded earlier this year that the "technology hub" proposal "continues to be a work in progress" but was something the government is "very, very dedicated to".

However, the renewed focus on education and training appears to be an indication that the Government has pivoted its efforts towards developing a skilled Bahamian technology workforce that will prove attractive to the industry and encourage companies to domicile in this nation.

The Minnis administration had initially focused on attracting the businesses to Grand Bahama, employing a "top down" as opposed to "bottom up" strategy for building the technology hub, workforce development representing the latter.

However, the initiative has been marked by several high-profile failures, with GIBC Digital, hailed as the "poster child" for the initiative, closing its physical office and laying off staff.

"We also will continue the BTVI ICT Skills Development Programme, which is a three-year programme designed to train students leaving the ninth grade up until the time they are in 12th grade, with the view that they would graduate with tech-related certifications - already in a position to launch their own businesses or have a head-start for further studies," Mr Thompson added.

"Cohort I started in summer 2018, Cohort II began in summer 2019. The programme was offered at both BTVI Grand Bahama and Nassau campuses. To date there have been some 300 students successfully trained in this programme with an additional 100 that will be added this year."