Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and Spa recently welcomed fifth form students from the Otto’s Comprehensive School on a two-week programme focused on hospitality training and exposure.
The students, were assigned across several departments within the resort, including the front office, kitchen, weddings and food and beverage.
“The aim of this programme was to give our young leaders an insight into the world of work as well as exposure to many areas of opportunity within a hospitality-centered environment,” Learning and Development Manager, Carlene Spencer shared.
Tyreek Patrick, who was assigned to the front office department, said, “this was truly an amazing experience for my peers and me. After just one of the training, I would have learned a lot about Sandals and the front office operations. I was excited to see what week two had to offer as I learnt more about the hospitality industry.”
“The reception of the team at Sandals was really so warm and made us settle in well. I have learned so much and I was looking forward to the remaining days of training in the weddings department that ended too quickly.” Markayla Wellington added.
Resort General Manager David Latchimy, who met with the students on day one at their orientation, encouraged them to be open to learning and grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the world’s greatest team members. “The common misconception over the years, especially among young people, is that working for a hotel just involves front-of-house and guest-facing interactions only. So it is our absolute pleasure to expose these students to all that we have to offer here. The truth is, the career offerings are endless, especially working within the Sandals environment. We have departments such as Information Technology, Public Relations, Sales, Entertainment, Photography and Butler Services that offer support to the overall guest experience of guests that visit our beautiful resort,” Latchimy shared.
The students concluded their training stint just before the start of the Christmas holidays and received a stipend as a thank you gesture. The students were also encouraged to seize the opportunity to further enroll in the resort’s premiere hospitality training programme upon graduation from high school in 2024.
