Hanoverians urged to prepare for job opportunities

Claudia Gardner, Hospitality Jamaica Writer

PHOTO BY CLAUDIA GARDNER A section of Bamboo Bay Beach in Lucea, Hanover, where the Fiesta Resort Jamaica Palladium is to be constructed.

THE HANOVER Chamber of Commerce (HCoC) has expressed concern about the level of preparation being made by parishioners to capitalise on job opportunities when construction of the 1800-room Fiesta Hotel begins in Lucea early this year.

"I am concerned that a lot of the state agencies have not started to work assiduously to get the preparation of the people under way," president of the HCoC, Anthony Marks, told Hospitality Jamaica. "As the chamber, we have been working with the Social Development Commission (SDC) to get people trained from now.

"Our artisans ­ carpenters, masons, electricians, plumbers, tilers need to be formally trained and/or certified. We are in dialogue with Kenilworth HEART Academy to see how our people can capitalise on the jobs during the construction phase, or else we will have people here watching the place build and get nothing out of it!" he exclaimed.

Archibald Edwards, SDC parish manager for Hanover, believes that the hotel's construction will help to significantly alleviate the parish's unemployment rate. According to the latest report from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) Hanover's unemployment rate stands at 3,200 out of a labour force of 27,000 and total population of 67,037.

"What I understand is that job priority will be given toHanoverians once they are qualified," Mr. Edwards said. "A lot of people are unemployed, and from all indications the hotel should bring employment in excess of 2,000 directly and about 5,000 indirectly. While our employment problem may not necessarily be solved totally, at least it will make a tremendous difference."

At least one construction company in the parish is prepared for the windfall, "We are very optimistic that our company will secure a contract to provide human resources and support services to Fiesta during the construction phase," Omerta Productions executive Lissant Ffolkes told Hospitality Jamaica. He said he is confident that Hanover has the human resources to meet the job demands of the five-star all-inclusive hotel.

"Many people who are qualified have to leave the parish in order to seek employment, but with this development, persons who are living here in Lucea, will have an opportunity to work in the parish, thus commuting less," he said.

EMPLOYMENT

In the meantime, Member of Parliament for Western Hanover, Ralston Anson, said he plans to solicit the services of a Cuban teacher to train the residents in conversational Spanish.

Last year August, Dr. Paul Robertson, Minister of Development speaking at the Hanover Homecoming Foundation annual awards ceremony at Tryall in the parish promised that "At least 3,000 direct jobs will be created for residents of the parish to work in the hotel as managers, supervisors, entertainment coordinators, housekeepers, chefs, cooks, tour guides and so on."

He said at the time that the economic impact of the hotel should revive the economic fortunes of the town, making it one of Jamaica's newest resort towns.