The Tribune

IN a few days, a group of students will have a new lease on life as they participate in the first graduation for Baha Mar’s Leadership Development Institute, a non-profit training institute supported by the luxury resort.

The initiative is a multi-million dollar investment in training by Baha Mar led by Executive Director Jeffrey Lloyd.

Mr Lloyd said that he is immensely proud of the group of 150 students who will take part in the inaugural graduation on May 27. Rather than “write off our young people”, Mr Lloyd contends that the students enrolled at LDI are committed to being productive and making the most of opportunities presented to them.

“More than 95 per cent of them will graduate, so this is an enormously successful programme by any standard. I am very hopeful for our Bahamian people, especially our young people,” he said.

The students come from diverse backgrounds, but what they have in common is an experience that has literally changed their lives.

Day class student body Vice-president Kaylee Ferguson said that because of LDI, her communication skills and overall confidence level have been boosted.

“I graduated high school last year and enrolled in Tourism Management at the College of The Bahamas. After my first semester I couldn’t get into the necessary classes, but I wanted to keep learning about the hospitality industry. I saw the LDI advertisement on Facebook and applied. I just felt like this was an opportunity for me and that someone out there really wanted me to be part of this.”

The leadership role at LDI has taught Ms Ferguson skills that she can carry through her career and life such as the virtue of patience and how best to communicate with her peers and others.

This experience was echoed by student body President Dominique Moss.

“The most challenging part of the programme was the length, but I never wanted to quit. I had a goal in mind. I had lost my job and there were deaths in my family. I had to keep afloat and keep moving – keep pushing on,” he said.

“Being the president, I learned to interact with people better. I also learned to be more empathetic towards their problems and understand that everyone has different situations and different reasons for the things that they do.”

The 150 students, chosen from 3,500 applicants, were selected to enter the challenging programme to receive training in day and evening classes as part of Baha Mar’s multi-million dollar investment in training and recruiting Bahamians for more than 4,000 jobs.

The 16-week day classes, for men and women ages 16 to 24, provided communication skills and soft skills such as time management that can enable them to better function as employees in the workplace. Additionally, the course taught job readiness, leadership, numeracy and parenting skills. The evening classes provided enhanced workplace skills for persons ages 25 and older.

The successful candidates who demonstrate a commitment to the Baha Mar standard during the course will be offered employment at Baha Mar in areas such as food and beverage, housekeeping, cleaning services, grounds maintenance and security.

“We are proud of these graduates. They completed this challenging programme and learned the Baha Mar Standard of service,” said Paul Pusateri, Baha Mar’s chief operating officer. “These men and women are part of the changing face of hospitality and are the key to creating a better future for The Bahamas.”

The graduation ceremony will be held next Tuesday at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort.