Nineteen people have earned nationally recognised certification through the first cohort of a community-based skills initiative aimed at bridging the gap between education and employability in the hospitality industry.
The achievements were celebrated on Wednesday morning at the Courtyard by Marriott, Garrison, St Michael, where participants, relatives and partners gathered for the presentation ceremony marking the completion of the first Bartending and Mixology and Cookery 1 courses under the Satellite Programme – *Facilitating Inclusive Development in Communities*.
The 19 graduates – 17 women and two men – completed intensive, hands-on training delivered by the Pinelands Creative Workshop in collaboration with the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology, with support from the Maria Holder Memorial Trust. Eleven participants earned certificates in Bartending and Mixology, while eight completed Cookery 1.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Executive Officer of the Pinelands Creative Workshop, Sophia Greaves-Broome, said the programme was created to “cut through red tape and barriers” that often prevent people from accessing training. She told the graduates that their certificates represented “a beginning to your future”, urging them to continue “retooling and building new skills as the world of work evolves”. “The new currency is skills,” she added.
Greaves-Broome explained that the Satellite Programme targets individuals aged between 18 and 35 who may have left school without formal qualifications, as well as single parents or adults seeking to upskill but unable to meet traditional tertiary entry requirements. “We place you first,” she said, describing the team’s determination to help every participant finish the course and be recognised for their effort.
She noted that the training reflects the post-Covid revival of the hospitality industry and its need for well-prepared staff. The Bartending and Mixology course, she said, had “pushed boundaries”, with students creating more than 30 original cocktails using “unusual and unique combinations”. Cookery students meanwhile experienced a fast-tracked programme blending components of two levels of training. Tutors Sir Sheen McClean and Angela Gittens-Holland were commended for “bringing themselves to the programme” and pushing participants beyond their comfort zones.
Speaking on the cohort’s behalf, graduate Dionne Currency-Griffith described the experience as demanding but fulfilling. “Some days I had to start work extremely early in order to get to class, or when we were finished class head straight to the kitchen,” she said. She added that the training strengthened her time management and confidence and that her new qualification will now allow her catering business to offer full bar services.
Two graduates – Roshania Manning and Currency-Griffith – received special awards after scoring 85 in Cookery 1 and Bartending and Mixology respectively. Other graduates in Bartending and Mixology were Shawna Best, Brittney Bishop, Anderson Collymore, Akeela Drakes, Shadea Grazette, Keanna Keal, Tara Layne, Janelle Moseley, Monique Ward and Janett Waterman. Cookery 1 certificates went to Ikeasha Babb, Angel Eastman, Diego Goodman, Shanique Harrison, Ra-Neisha Jackson, Leandria Knight, Roshania Manning and Tranelle Moseley.
Since its launch, the Satellite Programme has reached dozens of Barbadians, training 30 people in 2024 and 22 in 2025. Organisers say the initiative supports national development goals by promoting quality education, decent work and entrepreneurship, while strengthening community networks.
Formally established in partnership with the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology in 2022, the programme has already helped participants move into business ventures, with some now bottling and retailing their own products. Greaves-Broome encouraged the group to think globally: “Do not underestimate the product that you are creating.”
The morning ceremony closed with a call for graduates to stay adaptable, confident and independent – using their new credentials as a starting point rather than a finish line.
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