SANDALS Montego Bay’s recent Hospitality Training Programme graduate Deidre-Ann Osbourne is head over heels for the resort.

As a student at Herbert Morrison Technical High School, Osbourne always dreamt about working at the Luxury-included chain of hotels.

For her, Sandals represented the very best in hospitality services and being one who always pursues excellence, Osbourne wanted to be a part of the leading Caribbean vacation company.

Her dream became reality in December 2008, when she did a three-week school-based work stint at Sandals Montego Bay. This morphed into more than she had expected it be, becoming a life-altering experience for her. And she wanted more.

Following her graduation from high school in 2009 and armed with eight CXC subjects, Osbourne acted on the recommendation of her former vice-principals Beverly Slowley and Fredric Haughton to return to the flagship resort as a trainee in its long-running six-week hospitality training programme.

The programme was designed by Sandals to create a resource of trained hospitality hotel workers and is geared towards those who are graduates of vocational training centres, recent high school leavers and others without formal experience in hospitality. It is a school within the Sandals environment which allows trainees free access to practical and theoretical training in hotel operations. HEART Trust/NTA has partnered with the hotel chain to further accommodate joint assessment in specific components of the programme.

Osbourne was placed in the public relations department and was once again in seventh heaven.

“Working at Sandals, and in particular Sandals Montego Bay, has taught me a lot about tourism. Sandals is a great place for a young person to learn all one needs to know about hospitality,” she said. “While in public relations, I developed my interpersonal skills, better understood the great brand product that Sandals is and also got the chance to tour and work with a number of Sandals Foundation projects.”

Regional public relations manager Nathelie Taylor, who supervised Osbourne’s first training, said the 17-year-old was “a thrill to work with”.

“Deidre-Ann added great value to the Sandals team. She loves to learn, has a deep passion for service and we know she will continue excelling,” Taylor noted.

But, instead of graduating with her batch mates in January 2010, the St James native opted to stay on for another six-week period, this time with placement in watersports.

“There was just so much more to learn, I couldn’t leave after just six weeks,” said the bubbly teen. “Watersports taught me fascinating things about diving and the types of boats that we have on property, and being in this department also made me fully understand why our guests love our sand, sun and sea. Interacting with them and seeing the look on their faces while having fun just filled my heart with joy.”

It is no wonder then that with 12 solid weeks of training under her belt, Osbourne led her batch as valedictorian at the hospitality training programme’s graduation ceremony on February 9 this year.

“In addition to everything I’ve learnt and experienced, one of the most memorable moments for me at Sandals was graduation day when I could see the smiles on the managers’ faces during my speech and I knew they were proud of me,” she said.

“I would encourage any young person to be a part of the hospitality training programme. With this programme, Sandals has created numerous opportunities for individuals to become skilled and enhances one’s chances of being employed in the hotel sector. It’s not always going to be easy, but at the end it’s very rewarding. With the right attitude, you can make it,” Osbourne added.

“I have chosen hospitality as a career because my focus is on customer satisfaction. I love seeing my guests happy when they have enjoyed the services we provide at the resort. It makes me feel really good to be a part of this team. Now I feel like a better-rounded person. I am now better at solving challenges in a professional way. And I do look forward to a career in tourism and at Sandals,” she said further.