MONTEGO BAY, St James — Thirteen students from the Trelawny-based Holland High School recently played the role of managers for the various departments at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa for one day, under the hotel’s Blue Energy initiative.

“We have adopted and are engaged in a culture referred to as ‘Blue Energy’. This is a Hilton worldwide initiative, and through this initiative we seek to reach out to our guests, community people and the youth within our surroundings in a very special way by demonstrating how much we care,” said Nadine Blagrove King, the Blue Energy chairperson at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort

and Spa.

“For the months of April and May our focus is on “Bright Blue futures in the Hospitality industry,” so to celebrate this initiative, we invited the students from Holland High School to come in and shadow 13 department/divisional managers,” she explained.

According to Blagrove-King each of the resort’s manager gave the students a chance to be the ‘manager for the day’, enabling them to get an opportunity to see first-hand how the operation of the various departments takes place within the hotel.

During the day the students played the role as general manager, hotel manager, financial controller director of housekeeping, executive chef, director food and beverage, retail manager and restaurant manager.

At the end of the session, the students were all treated to lunch by their mentors at the resort’s Fresh restaurant, and were each given a certificate for their participation.

The students were then asked to write an essay outlining their day’s experience and how it will impact on their career path.

Grade 9 student Havielle Reid, 13 — whose mentor was Michael Dannecker — played the role as executive chef, and was later adjudged the winner of the essay competition.

She lauded the hotel for giving her the opportunity to widen her knowledge and interest in her career path.

“The experience of being the executive chef of the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa has been an awesome one. I applaud the organisers of this programme and I thank the hotel. The experience has been tremendously exciting and fun-filled,” said Havielle, who hopes to become an obstetrician.

The other students expressed similar sentiments.

Leasa McKayle, the Blue Energy country champion at Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa, stressed that the initiative had served its purpose.

“The aim was to have young people see exactly what we do in the industry…. so they were actually exposed to the various executive positions,” she explained.

She lauded the students for their excellent performance during their time at the resort.

“The students did extremely well. They demonstrated great leadership for that day and even their attire said much about them. They came out looking like professionals and acted very professionally during the time they were here,” she explained. “The general manager was wowed. He said we should do some more of these things because there are young people out there who are steering in the right direction.”

“For Holland High School to be moulding quality students like these it says a lot about the school,” said the resort’s executive.