Portland businessman assists HEART trainees in hospitality

BOUNDBROOK, Portland:

AFTER SURVIVING two years of the global pandemic, COVID-19, which resulted in a nosedive in sales and huge financial losses, businessman Telief ‘Peter’ Hall is taking aim at training young people in the area of tourism and hospitality.

Hall, who was quick to point out that business has been booming at his fine-dining restaurant ‘Roots 21’ at Boundbrook in Portland, following the reopening of the various sectors, said that he is now focusing on providing training and experience to young men and women who are currently attending the Human Employment and Resource Training Trust/National Training Agency (HEART/NSTA Trust) in the areas of culinary art, hospitality, and other tourism-related profession.

The Portland businessman, who is also undertaking major construction of a new dining area and a designated smoking area at Roots 21, pointed out that trainees from HEART are already getting valuable work experience at his establishment, as he seeks to ensure that they are provided with the necessary knowledge and experience to be competitive in the working world.

“So I am merely giving back to the people that have supported my business over the years, and the best way to do that is to provide assistance to students, who will be the country’s future leaders, “commented Hall.

“Once their future is preserved, then they will be well on their way to economic and financial growth and success. These students comes in three, four, sometimes five days per week, where they are trained by an experienced staff in the areas of meal preparation comprising various dishes, stocktaking, auditing, bartending, as waiters, and supervising.

“I believe that in doing this and offering them such opportunities, it will allow them to be better prepared to tackle the working world, especially in tourism and hospitality, upon being certified by HEART. So now we have a situation where any hotel, the overseas work programme, or even a cruise ship that is offering job opportunities to trainees will employ people that already have work experience, which is a valuable asset,” he added.

So far, seven HEART/NSTA Trust trainees are undergoing work experience at Roots 21, which currently employs 23 full-time staff members.

And according to Hall, even though the trainees are benefiting from work experience at his place of business, at the end of each week they are provided with a stipend to assist with travelling and also to purchase personal items.

“I am hoping that this is something that will be replicated all over Jamaica by other business operators, as this will guarantee work experience for those attending HEART. This will greatly reduce the implementation of the so-called ‘on the job training’, and instead will pave the way for experienced workers on the part of youngsters, who might be applying for a job,” he concluded.