SANDALS Resorts has come in for praise from both the Deputy Prime Minister as well as the Minister of Education of Saint Lucia, for its commitment to continually invest in developing its team members.
The two ministers were attending the graduation ceremony for Cohort C of the Diploma in Hospitality Leadership Programme offered to team members by the Sandals Corporate University, in partnership with the Florida International University and Accelerating Leaders. The third group of graduates, comprising Sandals team members from throughout the region, were celebrated at a lavish ceremony at the Sandals Grande Saint Lucian Spa and Beach Resort on October 29th, just ahead of the launch of the next cohort.
In delivering the keynote address, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism and Investment Dr. Ernest Hilaire, told the graduates to recognise the opportunity being made available to them by the company. “I want you to appreciate the investment that Sandals is making in you as a person and as a professional. It is an immense investment. What it tells you is that Sandals has confidence in you as professionals and as individuals.” The Minister added, “it also says a lot about Sandals with its understanding of the broader developmental context that we face in the Caribbean, that the only way we can accelerate our development and advance our economies and societies is if the human resource development takes place. Sandals must be commended.”
Minister of Education, Innovation and Vocational Training Shawn Edward said Sandals has again demonstrated its role as a leading corporate citizen and employer by the holistic care it continues to extend to its team members. He drew reference to the Sandals Early Childcare Centre that was launched in Saint Lucia earlier this year. “This is tremendous, this is revolutionary and this demonstrates a level of thinking that cannot be matched as we speak, in the hospitality industry. Sandals has demonstrated over the years that it is about more than just profit.” With respect to the Diploma in Hospitality Leadership Programme he noted, “Sandals has been particularly deliberate in recognising the need for its workers and staff to constantly be retooling, and being ahead of the game. And that is why today Sandals can boast of being one of the most successful chains in the industry.”
Shervon Nicholas, restaurant supervisor from Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort had this to say about what the programme meant to him. “Applying for this course and working towards attaining the diploma was a significant step in my personal and professional growth. It represented my commitment to improving myself, gaining new knowledge and skills and moving closer to my goals. It also marked a turning point – a way to invest in my future and challenge myself to push beyond my comfort zone. My perspective on a lot has changed”. Further, he added, “I believe this will open new opportunities for me, both in terms of my career and personal growth. This also builds my self-confidence, as I know I’m capable of challenging myself and achieving set goals. Professionally I’ve gained new knowledge and skills which I can now filter down to the future leaders of tomorrow. The journey has just begun as I know the more I learn the more I realize I knew nothing”.
Sandals Managing Director for Saint Lucia, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Winston Anderson, said the Diploma in Hospitality Leadership was launched in an effort to ensure that Sandals team members have the knowledge and competence to take Caribbean hospitality into the future, “when we first launched this programme through the Sandals Corporate University, alongside our dear friends at FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Accelerating Leaders – it was with a very clear vision to prepare the next generation of hospitality leaders – the ones who will be charged with taking our company – and with it Caribbean hospitality to the next level. Take the lessons learned over the course of this diploma programme, and use it to not only improve the workplace, but also to pass on important lessons to your team members. Always remember that as a leader, your success depends on the growth and success of your team. The same way your tutors would have guided you, so you too must pay this forward, leaving a lasting legacy in your departments, by shaping the next generation of leaders for the region.”