Sandals has underscored its commitment to creating a significantly enhanced hospitality product in the Caribbean by forming the Sandals Corporate University which will be located on 22 of its hotel properties throughout six Caribbean countries.

It will provide on-the-job training for all its employees on all facets of the hotel business.Speaking at the launch of Sandals Corporate University which took place earlier this week at Sandals Grande Riviera in Ocho Rios, the chairman and founder of Sandals Resorts International Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart said: ” Today’s event, the launch of the Sandals Corporate University, represents the realisation of a long-cherished dream, our own education and training institution.

“The Sandals Corporate University is an inevitable outcome of my own simple philosophy of customer service, ” Give the customer more than he or she expects.” This is the principle on which Sandals was founded and on which the company has grown and flourished. You know what the guest expects when you are able to put yourself in the customers’place and treat them exactly as you would wish to be treated. That is the hallmark of service of exceptional quality – worthy of the ” luxury-included vacation” label. It is impossible to deliver customer service of exceptional quality if you are not equipped with the attitude, skills and knowledge required.

“Equipping the team with these attributes is what professional education and training is about and this has always been a major focus of Sandals. Sandals Corporate University will catapult this programme to greater heights, accelerating the process of pursuing excellence in hospitality, unmatched customer service and the continuous development of team members. We are totally committed to bringing education, training and development to our people, right there where they are, on the job.”

Sandals to invest US$5million in training

Sandals is to invest US$5 million over the next five years to strengthen training programmes it will offer to team members across the Caribbean through its corporate university. The university will work through a collaborative effort with other universities from the United States, Canada and the UK. Justice Michael Tulloch of Canada will serve as chairman of the Board of Governors of Sandals’ Corporate University.

Stewart explained that Sandal’s aim is to eliminate many of the huge obstacles to advancing education and training while on the job, such as logistics, financial considerations and time constraints. The idea is to make it easy for a team member to upgrade skills and qualifications for self- development and professional development.

“When that happens, a chain begins in which value is created for the individual, the customer, the company, the community, the nation, the region and the world. What you invest in people development brings rich returns for everyone.With the global environment being as it is, tourism has to deliver to the people of the region in a way that it has never delivered in the past.”

Stewart’s business philosophy

Using his own impressive knowledge of the hotel business and in what many would acknowledge is Stewart’s business mantra, the hotel mogul who founded the Caribbean’s best and most distinctive hotel chain back in 1982 explained: “From experience, I know that business success, especially in these tough times, has much to do with risk taking – informed risk taking which requires thorough homework as well as trust in your instincts. What I know for sure is that playing it safe does not work.

It may bring about modest incremental gains at time, but it will be the bold leaps forward, the acts of faith, that will take us to the other side of the cliffs, where prosperity resides. Such a bold action, demands wisdom, experience, intuition, street smarts and raw courage.

“Small timid jumps will not get you from one side of the cliff to the other.The first of the little jumps will simply land you in the precipice.

Across the region, the call is the same. Grow the industry and wherever we are on the tourism tree, we need to respond positively.”

The Sandals boss said the company’s commitment is to keep moving forward – changing, growing, developing year after year, surprising both customers and competitors with new, innovative, far-reaching programmes. He further added that the university clearly demonstrates Sandals’ commitment to regional integration. It signifies a bold step in providing a common training facility for hospitality workers in the region. He stressed that the university was the Group CEO Adam Stewart’s baby and that his team must be congratulated for making it a reality.

Strong businesses essential to a country’s growth

Addressing some of the region’s prime ministers, he said that it is strong businesses that offer quality employment, pay the taxes and generate revenues to help run the government. Without strong and successful businesses, all that is left is a weak country.

“At the end of the day we need our teachers to teach, our security forces to keep us safe and our youngsters to have the best opportunities. In order for this to take place we need strong political leaders.

I must use this opportunity to say that in the Caribbean we need strong business leaders, as it is the strength of the country’s businesses that dictates the quality of life for the citizens.

“I urge leaders here present to do anything they can to enable the free movement of students to take advantage of the campuses that will traverse our nations and the employment opportunities and collaboration that will come with the establishment of this specialised centre of learning,” said the Chairman of Sandals’ Resorts International.