WHITEHOUSE, Westmoreland – As part of its focus on promoting leaders from within the organisation, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) launched a Diploma in Hospitality Leadership at Sandals South Coast in Whitehouse on Monday. The 30-month-long in-house course is offered by Sandals Corporate University (SCU) in partnership with Florida International University (FIU). There are 20 participants in the first cohort.

The course is part of a wider thrust to, within the next two-and-a-half years, further hone the skills of about 400 employees already in leadership positions.

“We’re opening more and more hotels and we want to grow. We are growing in the Caribbean and outside the Caribbean as well and we need to develop talent,” SRI CEO Gebhard Rainer explained during the launch.

“When I think about the next three or four hotels, we need about 400 managers at every different level in order to lead these hotels. You cannot hire 400 managers from the outside and expect to maintain the soul of Sandals,” he added.

He believes there are individuals within SRI with the skills to fill these positions once they become available.

“We have lots of talent in the company, it’s for us now to identify the talent, to groom, give the opportunity for development… because they all have the ambition to be future leaders,” Rainer added.

There are ample opportunities for growth at SRI’s 20 resorts across the Caribbean. Employees are mainly from the region and many have worked their way up the ranks at various properties.

SCU’s corporate director Dr Luz Longsworth spoke about how employees and the company will benefit from the new diploma programme.

“This is an amazing, innovative programme for emerging leaders in Sandals and Beaches. We are looking for that talent that is going to take Sandals into the future, that is going to lead all of the resorts that we now have plus those that are to come,” she said.

“The programme is one that will focus on hospitality leadership, and that’s not something you hear a lot of but this is a sign of the investment in leaders that Sandals Resorts International is making,” she added.

The course will be offered virtually, allowing participants to study from their locations across the Caribbean. However, in-person participation is required for the first few sessions that will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday. Facilitators from FIU will be present.

The expectation is that the programme will continue.

“We will be learning as we go as well, so the programme will evolve as we see the need,” said Dr Longsworth.

Executive chef at Beaches Turks and Caicos Craig Nazareth is among the participants in the first cohort. He views it as an excellent avenue for continued learning.

“For me, education is very important. But a lot of us get stuck in our careers and start working and put education aside once you find a job. However, once I saw this opportunity and I saw this scholarship, I jumped on it,” he said.

He is now hoping that it will help him grow within the organisation.

“I need to look at the five-to-10-year plan and think, ‘What about… probably supporting the food and beverage team at the corporate level?’ ” he said.

Resort shop manager at Sandals South Coast Requelle Thomas also sees the programme as her ticket to further career growth.

“Personally, I expect to just continue to grow within the company as high as I can go within the resort in management level, that is the hope for this programme,” she said.

During the launch ceremony, Rainer took the opportunity to explain to participants how important the course will be for their future and how it is all linked to the company’s plans for years to come.

“You carry the responsibility of continuing the legacy of this company. You carry the responsibility of the future success of this company, and you carry the responsibility of expanding, growing, and providing the same opportunity to talent you will identify in the future to go through a similar development course as we move forward,” he said.