Hospitality students at the C.C Sweeting Senior High School are set to benefit from an internship at the newly reopened Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort.

Speaking at a recent tour of the hospitality training facilities, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI), and President of the Sandals Foundation, Adam Stewart, committed to providing students with work experience at the luxury inclusive resort to sharpen their skills and create a seamless transition from the classroom to the workforce.

“What’s happening here is quite amazing. I am happy to have students learn from and hone their skills by working with our world-class leaders and team members at the Sandals Royal Bahamian,” said Stewart.

C.C. Sweeting Senior High School is the first of its kind in The Bahamas - piloting a high school hospitality programme which caters to vulnerable students from some of the country’s underserved communities

During the Sandals Foundation organised visit which showcased the talents of student cooks and servers, the Executive Chairman shared words of inspiration to the young men and women present.

“The best university to go to is the one that makes you happy, and the best thing to do is the line of work that makes you want to get up every morning and have fun. Continue to work hard, stay positive, stay focused and you will achieve all of your goals. I think you are doing just fine right here. You join Sandals when you’re done and we’ll take you to the moon and as far as you want to go,” Stewart shared.

Principal of C.C Sweeting, Venessa James Rolle was elated by the announcement, noting, “We are excited about the partnership where our students will be able to go to Sandals and see how the industry works in real time. This is something that we’ve wanted for our students for a while. It’s phenomenal.”

As tourism-driven economies around the world position themselves to capitalize on the rebound and unleashed pent-up travel demands, the Sandals Foundation is making significant investments into state of the art hospitality training and education to position the next generation of service providers to meet the needs. 

In keeping with its 40 For 40 Initiative to use the power of travel to implement 40 sustainable projects with the power to transform Caribbean communities, the philanthropic arm of SRI has continued to expand and strengthen the hospitality training programme at the high school.

For the second year running, the Sandals Foundation has provided funding for international certification through the premier American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) National Restaurant Certification program in the areas of Guests Services and Restaurant/Tourism Certification. The support adds to the training kitchen and dining room upgrades with the provision of culinary training utensils, kitchen supplies, cooking and serving equipment, an electrical commercial washer and dryer and the servicing of a pre-existing industrial refrigerator.

 “As the tourism industry continues its path to recovery, we believe in the power of education, certification and training to give the Caribbean that competitive edge,” says Heidi Clarke, executive director at the Sandals Foundation, “The C.C. Sweeting School of Hospitality provides a unique experience for young people and we are happy to bolster its efforts.” said Clarke.

One hundred and forty students aged 15 to 18 will benefit from this year’s program with 20 enrolling in the international certification courses.

In the 2020/2021 academic year, the Sandals Foundation funded the participation of 20 students in the AHLEI international certification programme. All 10 students who sat the Guest Service Gold Certification exam were successful, while nine of the remaining 10 students were successful in the Guest Service Tourism Certification exam.