Initiative targets Caribbean hospitality employees on the management track
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (May 14, 2022) – Caribbean hospitality employees are invited and encouraged to apply for admission to the Caribbean Hospitality Professional Development Program sponsored by Les Roches Global Hospitality Education, one of the world’s leading hospitality business schools, and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHTAEF).
Launched in 2021, the jointly sponsored program is designed to accelerate participants’ career trajectories toward senior leadership roles in the hospitality industry. Through this initiative the program supports Caribbean hospitality employees in developing themselves and advancing within the industry.
“We feel tremendously proud with the results of our first year of collaboration with CHTAEF,” said Les Roches CEO Carlos Díez de La Lastra. “It has been an enriching experience to have hospitality talent from across the Caribbean developing their managerial skills on our campus within our international community reuniting 90 nationalities. We are excited and committed to continue supporting the development of Caribbean talent together with CHTAEF to further foster quality tourism and excellence in the region.”
“Nothing is more important to the CHTA Education Foundation than helping our Caribbean hospitality professionals achieve their highest potential and become the future leaders of the industry,” added CHTAEF chairwoman Karolin Troubetzkoy. “This is one of several programs we have developed to continue to provide opportunities for advancement within the industry.”
“They challenge you to think like a leader,” stated 2021 graduate Noshane King, regional sales manager, Norwegian Cruise Line.
The Caribbean Hospitality Professional Development Program is a rigorous yet flexible academic course, designed to be studied alongside students’ current job commitments, allowing them to accelerate their career without interrupting it. The program targets today’s hospitality supervisors and managers with the goal of propelling them toward the roles of hotel manager or general manager over the following two to three years.
Describing her experience in the 2021 program, Rehana Dorsett, Director of VIP Services - The Cove and Reef Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, noted: “As we moved forward the classes got more challenging. And while you move at your own pace, there are deadlines and a significant amount of work to accomplish. It’s a great (online support system). The class on sustainability was so interesting. I’m passionate about this subject.”
Students are asked to commit to a minimum of 12 hours per week for the duration of the six-month program, which includes classes such as: Advanced Hospitality Operations, Finance, Revenue Management, Marketing, Sustainability, Leadership and Organizational Behavior.
Stephen Fagan, Concierge Manager with Beaches Ocho Rios in Jamaica, participated in the program in 2021. “I’m currently studying a lot of different topics and some classwork assignments require a partner or group, so this helps you to interact with others, so you can reach out across the globe all while sitting at home,” he said.
Candidates for the Caribbean program must have a minimum of four years’ hospitality experience, including one year in a supervisory position. They must have the endorsement and support of their employer to participate and be able to finance the remaining program costs after the scholarship deductions.
The deadline for applications is June 15, 2022, with a program start date in September.
