27 young people to benefit from hands-on training and regional travel as part of the company’s signature Management Trainee Programme
PRESS RELEASE – Committed to investing in the development of young people across the Caribbean and continuing to strengthen its succession planning strategy, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) has since 2012, recruited over 100 trainee managers to participate in its Management Trainee Programme (MTP).
Most recently, 27 new trainees were selected from among 138 applicants across the region to join the competitive and robust programme. Of these, five are Saint Lucian.
Adam Stewart, SRI’s Deputy Chairman, said the programme was an illustration of the company’s commitment to investing in and providing opportunities for young people across the region. “The talent that exists in our resorts and our communities is impressive. We are committed to identifying these talented young people, providing them with opportunities for growth and development and helping them to find and pursue their passions. The Management Trainee Programme is one of the initiatives I am most proud of because I have seen how it has changed the lives of countless young people across the region”, he said.
He continued, “This programme is an investment in our team members, an investment in the young people of the Caribbean and ultimately an investment in the region’s hospitality sector. We are resolute in our commitment to developing our human resources and I am excited for the new trainee managers who have embarked on this life-changing journey.”
Life-changing is exactly the word that best describes what the experience means for Sheudy Henry, a Saint Lucian national who started with the company as a hospitality trainee. Henry, who previously worked as the Food and Beverage Secretary at Sandals Grande Saint Lucian Resort, hopes to become a Food and Beverage Manager and eventually the company’s Chief Operations Officer. She said, “I expect to gain as much knowledge as I can from the managers and team members I’ll be working with at the various resorts I’ll be visiting. I also want to inspire others to not limit themselves. Starting as a hospitality trainee I never thought I’d be here today. I want people to know that they can always be more.”
Sheudy is one of five St. Lucians in the programme. The other Saint Lucians are Akeem Gustave, who last worked at Sandals Barbados in the Spa department; Shandulla Alexander, from the Weddings Department at Sandals Halcyon Beach Resort and Spa; Shatal Lionel, Resort Shop, Sandals Halcyon Beach Resort and Spa and the 2016 Ultimate Team member of The Year Award Winner Jamer Georges, who worked in the Entertainment Department at Sandals Grande Saint Lucian Spa and Beach Resort.
The MTP prepares both new hires and existing team members for exciting management and leadership roles throughout the company. Management trainees are exposed to strategic hands-on training through rotations in various departments at a number of the company’s resorts throughout the region. This year’s trainees, the fifth cohort to benefit from the programme since its reintroduction in 2012, include nationals from Saint Lucia, Jamaica, The Bahamas, and Barbados, with trainees being groomed to become managers in specific divisions.
In the first phase of the programme, trainees will be exposed to the operations of all departments. The second phase will see the trainees receiving targeted training in their area of specialization. Trainees will work closely with managers throughout the duration of the programme and will be exposed to all aspects of leadership and management. In addition, management trainees are required to complete a number of courses, projects and programmes. (SRI)