The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

BAHA MAR has been on an aggressive social media campaign to widen the pool of potential hires for when the resort opens in 2014, its senior vice-president of external and governmental affairs telling Tribune Business yesterday that close to 7,000 jobs would be available once the hiring process begins.

Speaking following a brief ceremony to celebrate reaching the 100-foot mark on Baha Mar’s casino tower construction, Robert Sands said: “Our focus has been, at this point in time, to put in place the training programme and the strategy going forward for the operational hirings. 

“The training that we have been doing in terms of the contracted labour has been in conjunction with the  Bahamas Contractor’s Association and programmes that we supported through BTVI.

“We have been doing tremendous amount of social media work and beginning to build up our resource pool of potential  individuals to be considered for employment on the operations side.”

Mr Sands added: “Our training department has been going into a number of the high schools on a regular basis, sensitising them about what’s coming on-line and beginning to work with guidance counsellors, home economics teachers, hospitality tourism trainers just so that the pool of potential hires can be made available for consideration for appointment.

“Our training department is extremely active= in terms of the strategies being put in place to ensure that we are ready and develop a cadre of Bahamians to take advantage of the job opportunities that will be made available to them once we start hiring in 2014.”

When asked whether he was confident that Baha Mar would be able to fill 7,000 job vacancies Mr Sands told Tribune Business: “We must put in place the training and strategies to ensure that the manpower is available. We cannot be wavering on this particular position. It’s not going to be an easy road. I think we will have a wide enough pool to choose from ,and the resources of training - both in-house and from the brands - will  allow us to prepare potential hires for Baha Mar in 2014.”

Regarding an announcement on Baha Mar’s casino partner, Mr Sands told Tribune Business:”We have committed to the Government of the Bahamas that by the end of summer we will be in a position to make an announcement on that.”