For the second year in a row, the learning and development department at Sandals Grande Antigua provided the opportunity for team members to explore higher learning and development prospects as part of the career advancement offered by the Caribbean’s leading all-inclusive resort company.
The event dubbed Edu-Fair (Educational Fair) was launched in 2022 by Sandals learning and development manager Carlene Spencer to assist team members with finding the appropriate courses and programs to aid their professional development. “Team members would always inquire where can they access training or classes in various disciplines, so we felt it was wise to bring the institutions together so team members can have the opportunity to explore the offerings from different educational institutions based on their needs”- Spencer added.
Several tertiary education institutions including the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute, Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Continuing Education and the National Sailing Academy were a part of the one-day event held earlier this month.
Community First Cooperative Credit Union along with the Board of Education was also on hand to provide team members with financial support information.
Assistant Training and Development Manager Thalia Thomas said, “This is something our team members look forward to and we are excited to collaborate with these important institutions to make this a reality once again. As a company, we are always exploring ways to provide development support and guidance for our team members to realize and achieve their big dreams.”
Trainees enrolled in the resort’s Hospitality Training Program also benefited from the experience. Housekeeping Trainee Maliko Anthony shared, that the program was very impactful which motivated him to continue his educational journey after completion of the resort’s training program later this month.
Plans are currently underway for the third staging of the event in 2024 with the hopes of seeing more educational and financial institutions coming on board to engage team members.