With all that’s been going on between the long Easter weekend, King’s Day and the golden anniversary Carnival 50, Friday’s story about the presentation of certificates at Hospitality First Training plus Education (HFTE) Academy should not go unnoticed. No fewer than 450 participants completed programmes in Customer Service, Hospitality 360 and specialty courses Restaurant, Bar, Housekeeping and Front Desk.
There can be little doubt these are prevalent occupations in the local tourism economy, as it continues to rebound from catastrophic Hurricane Irma. HFTE was originally established to keep personnel of resorts and other related businesses closed due to damage suffered busy in a positive manner and with at least some income.
These mostly under- or unemployed persons were thus able to stay active and earn a stipend helping them and their families survive. It was announced just last month that 152 job-seekers registered at the Labour Department were enrolled in the academy at National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA).
In addition, the related St. Maarten Training Foundation (SMTF) initiative allowed for upgrading the workforce based on the idea of “building back better” and enhancing the product. The concept had been thought of by individuals of the private sector and initially backed with a US $4.5 million grant from the governments of St. Maarten and the Netherlands.
Last August this so-called Emergency Income Support and Training Programme was part of a second grant to the tune of $22.5 million that also included a new Social Registry System from the Dutch-sponsored Recovery Trust Fund managed by the World Bank. This enabled the necessary continuity and starting a new batch of courses, which is important because several large visitor accommodations are yet to – fully – reopen.
As correctly argued when the programme was first established, a successful destination and its ability to compete depend to a large extent on the people. This was truly an example of turning adversity into opportunity.
