THE Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute has appointed veteran education official Keyshan L Bastian as its new president, marking a leadership change at the country’s primary technical training institution.

The institute’s board said Ms Bastian will assume the role on March 23, becoming the third president of BTVI.

Ms Bastian, BTVI said, brings more than 28 years of experience in technical and vocational education, national assessment and public service. She most recently served as deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training.

The board described her as a strategic leader with experience in governance, policy development, curriculum design and workforce planning, noting her role in advancing technical and vocational education reforms and institutional capacity building.

During her tenure in public service, she oversaw national education operations and programme implementation across multiple divisions, influencing an average of 300 professionals annually.

A certified human resource consultant, Ms Bastian has also lectured at the University of The Bahamas, taught at BTVI and served as an external moderator to support academic standards.

She holds an associate degree in business and a teacher’s certificate from the University of The Bahamas, a bachelor’s degree in professional management and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University. She is currently pursuing doctoral studies focused on technical and vocational education systems and workforce alignment.

The board said her appointment comes as BTVI continues efforts to strengthen workforce development and align training with national economic priorities.