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Project Planner with??the Crane Residential Resort, Lisa Howard (centre)??receives certificates from Minister of Education, Ronald Jones and is congratulated by Managing Director and Owner of the resort, Paul Doyle (left). Ms. Howard is now an Accredited Professional?? in Building Design and Construction having completed the Lead Examination. (Picture: Karen Alleyne)??

Crane Residential Resort in St. Philip has been lauded for its commitment to the development of its employees amidst the current economic recession.

At the recent graduation of 59 employees from courses under the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), Minister of Education Ronald Jones, praised that organisation for its training efforts, while encouraging employees to effectively use the knowledge gained and continue to create opportunities to aid their future growth.

Graduates, who ranged from line staff to management, were also urged to become involved in life-long learning and to constantly investigate ways and means to improve by accessing training opportunities.?? The Minister identify the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic; Technical Vocational Education and Training Council,?? AHLA as well as flexible approaches using the World Wide Web as among the available options.

PBX Operator with the??Crane Residential Resort, Donna Moore (centre), who received the highest grade in her AHLA training,??displays her??certificate??following presentation by Minister of Tourism, Richard Sealy. Looking on is Managing Director and Owner of the??Crane Residential Resort, Paul Doyle (left).

PBX operator Joan Forde (centre) receives her certificate from??Managing Director and Owner of the??Crane Residential Resort, Paul Doyle (left) while Minister of Tourism, Richard Sealy looks on.

"There must be that opportunity where you must grasp programmes to ensure that you too stay on the cutting edge of your excellence. You just can’t be simply satisfied… you must be greedy for knowledge," Mr. Jones said.

The Education Minister told the management team: "I commend you for working well with young people and you are applauded…?? As human beings we must have the opportunity for a second chance in life… and to truly blossom, it takes someone to say ???come’. You all here have been given the chance to excel in your chosen fields and with that chance you should embrace the opportunities that will be presented to you as a consequence."

Noting the integral role that high quality customer service plays within the tourism sector, he observed: "Even though we live in an age that has blessed us with some amazing technology that allows us to stay in touch with each other constantly, we must not forget the manners, the loyalty and honour that makes us the nation that we are today.

It is these same qualities that lead us in the service industry and… that keep visitors returning to Barbados time and time again. There are people who have never gone [to] another place on the face of the earth and it is because they have found something here in Barbados. However, it is people like you that help to make people’s holiday special and in turn keep people coming back here year after year."??

Meanwhile, Human Resources Manager, Sean Alleyne, in lauding the graduates of the AHLA said: "No organisation can survive, especially in light of these uncertain economic times, without investment in its most important asset – its human resources." And, he explained that while most people were reducing their budget on training and development, Crane Resorts spent beyond its 2009 level, thus improving its service delivery capacity.

For the past two years, The Crane has used the American Hotel and Lodging Association as its platform for competency based training for most of the Resort’s line staff and supervisory and management level employees. AHLA is an internationally recognised educational institution providing certification for over 15,000 hospitality organisations worldwide.

Mr. Alleyne pointed out that certification for Crane employees was important as it demonstrated proficiency. He added: "It is a concrete indication of your skills, and shows guests that you are committed to your profession and are well-trained with proven abilities. It also shows that the company is not only focused on its Return on Investment (ROI) but also the other ROI; return on individuals.

"We recognise that as a company we do not operate in a vacuum. We also recognise that our employees are products of our society. We owe it not only to our employees, but also to our society in which we operate, to provide opportunities for personal development and growth."

Over the last year, the hotel also partnered with a number of educational institutions facilitating internship programmes. These included the Barbados Vocational Training Board; the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic and the Barbados Community College’s Hospitality Division, among others.??

jgill@barbados.gov.bb

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