MONTEGO BAY, St James – The Sandals Training And Recruitment Tier (START) training programme, through which Flankers youths are trained in the hospitality industry, is to be expanded shortly.

Horace Peterkin, Sandals Montego Bay’s general manager and head of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), said the training has been adopted by the JHTA whose members are expected to implement aspects of it in their respective companies and organisations.

Peterkin, who was addressing the July 28 graduation ceremony for the second batch of START trainees from Flankers, said that while the programme’s expansion was not the complete answer to Jamaica’s unemployment and crime problems, it could play an important role in addressing both.

Against this background he said he would encourage each JHTA member to take on at least two youths from their nearest inner-city community for training under the programme.

“Currently there are over 75,000 registered companies across Jamaica and if each of these companies agree to train at least two youngsters, immediately 150,000 will be taken off the streets,” he said.

The START programme was instituted by Sandals Montego Bay in 2003, following a major demonstration in Flankers. The demonstration was sparked by the police shooting deaths of two senior citizens in the community.

The programme has since gained official accreditation from HEART Trust/National Training Agency, which has indicated that Sandals Montego Bay would become its 61st certified training centre in Jamaica.

The programme kicked off with 25 youths receiving training in housekeeping, watersports, maintenance, food and beverage and the spa. Five members of the group were employed by the hotel before they graduated while the names of the others were posted on the “Jobs ‘n More” website for employment by other companies.