The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) recently launched a suite of awards under its Accreditation Circle of Excellence (ACE) initiative, designed to honour and recognise outstanding faculty and staff who are making significant contributions toward the institution’s journey to accreditation with the Council on Occupational Education (COE).

As BTVI continues to solidify its role as a leader in technical and vocational education in The Bahamas, the awards celebrate excellence, innovation, collaboration and leadership across the institution. The awards, now in the third month, is held during a vibrant ACE Brunch and Benchmarks ceremony and will continue through the end of June.

BTVI president Dr Linda A Davis, said the awards reflect the institution’s deep appreciation for the dedicated individuals who are helping to move BTVI towards accreditation.

“Accreditation is not just a goal; it’s a shared responsibility that requires commitment, creativity and excellence from every corner of our seven-site institution. This is a crucial institutional, yet national endeavour that undoubtedly will propel us to success,” said Dr Davis.

Among the five awards is the Spirit of Excellence Award, which recognises a faculty or staff member who exemplifies dedication, leadership and pride in BTVI’s accreditation journey, and the Star Administrative Professional Award, which honours an administrative professional whose organisational skills and operational support are critical to meeting accreditation benchmarks. The ACE Innovation Award acknowledges creative strategies, technological advancement or new processes that enhance the accreditation process and institutional excellence, while the Occupational Advisory Committee (OAC) Award, celebrates efforts to strengthen industry partnerships and ensure programme relevance and alignment with workforce demands.

The ACE Champion Award is the highest recognition in the ACE initiative. It is awarded to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to accreditation efforts and team motivation.

ACE Champion for March was Dean of Student Affairs Racquel Bethel. She said receiving the award was a significant honour.

“I want to express my gratitude to my colleagues and the team that nominated and support me every day. Thank you. Being nominated by you is a high honour,” said Dean Bethel.

Meantime, Dean Bethel spoke of the significance of what BTVI is doing.

“The COE self-study process has prompted us to thoroughly examine the processes and policies of our entire institution. This has been a most challenging undertaking. I commend our president for her outstanding leadership; her drive and commitment have been inspiring,” said Dean Bethel.

The awards is the brainchild of BTVI accreditation liaison officer Dr Dorcas Cox, while the PR and marketing department created and drives the initiative.

Head of BTVI’s PR and marketing department, Hadassah Deleveaux, said ACE is beyond a recognition incentive.

“When we hit the ground running, we built something truly special. It has been a pleasure celebrating the progress of our colleagues that focuses on our shared goal of institutional accreditation. It’s really rewarding to watch colleagues be recognised for their efforts. Accreditation is an institutional-wide movement that unites the entire BTVI community. What we are seeking to achieve is a collective responsibility and the power of ‘we’ is evident,” said Ms Deleveaux.

BTVI’s marketing coordinator, Shacqeel Coleby, added that ACE is a strategic initiative that aligns with BTVI’s brand and mission.

“Each ACE Brunch and Benchmarks event is carefully curated to showcase the people behind our progress towards accreditation. This is internal marketing of an initiative that is bigger than us. COE accreditation will benefit the institution, but it’s a national investment in quality education, workforce readiness and ultimately economic growth,” said Mr Coleby.

• “Gain An Edge” is a collaboration of Lyford Cay Foundations, the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute and the University of The Bahamas aimed at promoting a national dialogue on issues surrounding education. To share your thoughts, email gainanedge@tribunemedia.net.