Royalton sees improvement after staff gets certified

Considered one of the newer stakeholders in the hospitality sector, the management at the Royalton Negril Resorts and Spa in Westmoreland took the proactive measure to ensure that their staff are trained and certified to international standards.

This training and certification process was separate and apart from the resort's standard in-house training, which has made a major difference in the service delivered to the guests by the employees.

More than 30 employees, including supervisors and persons showing the potential for future leadership roles, underwent weeks of an intensive Certified Hospitality Supervisor training course in a pilot project through a partnership between the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) - set up by the Ministry of Tourism.

"We have seen a marked improvement in the overall attitude of the persons who have participated in the JCTI training. We have been able to realise increased productivity," said Debbie Ellis, training manager at Royalton Negril Resorts and Spa.

CERTIFIED STUDENTS

Approximately 150 individuals, including recent college graduates employed to 12 hotels, were drafted into the training certification course, conferring them with internationally recognised certification.

"The JCTI training/certification programme was a wonderful experience for our employees who got the opportunity to increase their knowledge and to elevate their status," said Ellis.

"When I started at Royalton, I had indicated to Dr Cecil Cornwall (founder of the Western Hospitality Institute) my desire to implement some programmes, one of which was the Certified Hospitality Supervisor Certification, which was being facilitated by the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute. That was very exciting for us, as this certification is universally accredited and recognised. The training came right on time," Ellis said.

Passionate about enhancing her workforce, Ellis said she had appealed to persons who are likely to have close relationships with the relevant government agencies, and her requests for a number of programmes have borne fruit. The Certified Hospitality Supervisor certification is one such programme, she noted.

As a training manager, she firmly believes that a certified workforce across the industry, locally and regionally, will raise the standard and achieve global recognition for the entire region.

"Individuals having globally recognised certification will be more motivated to apply themselves in performing to and above expected standards, and thereby improving productivity both for the company and their personal development," Ellis observed.