Fiesta urges Hanoverians to get
certified
.. learn Spanish in the process
Claudia Gardner, Hospitality Jamaica Writer
Human Resources Director of the Fiesta hotel, under construction
in Lucea, Rodcliffe Robertson, has joined in the call for residents
of Hanover to get certified, in order to acquire jobs at the hotel.
The1,600-room hotel, tagged Grand Palladium and Lady Hamilton,
respectively, which is being built at Point Estate, is set to be
opened in February 2008.
Speaking in an interview with Hospitality Jamaica last Thursday,
Mr. Robertson said the date for the commencement of recruitment
has not yet been set, but the hotel is seeking to employ approximately
1,100 people.
"We are encouraging persons within and around Hanover to get
trained and get prepared, so that when recruitment comes they will
not be left out."
He noted that the resort would be employing persons in every aspect
of hotel life, "From janitors to management, front office people,
restaurants, bars, pools, watersports, entertainment - just about
everything."
"We are going to concentrate our efforts on Hanover and the
immediate areas around the hotel," he said. He, however, admitted
that he knew he would not be able to find all the personnel from
that area so work is now being carried out with a number of training
institutions in the parishes of St. James and Westmoreland as well,
"To see how best they can prepare persons for these jobs."
Mr. Robertson said he is also encouraging prospective workers to
learn a foreign language in order to meet the needs of the resort's
international clientele.
"We are going to be having people from Europe and Asia - coming
from just about everywhere so when its time for recruitment we are
looking for the best."
He stressed that persons coming in with a second language would
automatically be at an advantage. "For those people who are
being trained now, it is a smart idea to get that second language,"
he urged.
"We are just going to try and get the best because Fiesta
is a little notch above the other Spanish hotels, and we have to
get the best people in who are going to deliver the best services
to the clientele who will be coming from all over the world, much
wider than what we are accustomed to."
He added: "We are currently looking at the salaries that are
being paid in the industry and we can guarantee you that we won't
be at the bottom of the pack. We have not set salaries as yet, but
most definitely because of the level of service we are going to
be offering, we won't be at the bottom," he assured.
In August, marketing officer at the Northwestern Region of the
HEART Training Agency, Everton Dixon, chastised Hanoverians whom
he said have not equipped themselves to capitalise on the imminent
job opportunities at the hotel.
At the time he said a vast majority of the residents of the parish
who were applying for jobs at the hotel, have never sought to take
advantage of the skills training being offered at the Kenilworth
HEART Academy located at Sandy Bay in the parish. He warned that
as a result many of the jobs could go to outsiders.
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