SANDALS CORPORATE UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES FIFTH COHORT OF DIPLOMA IN HOSPITALITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME

Sandals Corporate University (SCU) continues to revolutionize team member development within Sandals Resorts with the launch of its fifth Diploma in Hospitality Leadership cohort.

The programme, a partnership with Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism and Accelerating Leaders, provides learning opportunities for supervisors and managers, equipping them with advanced knowledge and leadership skills.

This cohort boasts 22 aspiring leaders from various Caribbean islands, ten of whom are from Antigua and Barbuda and include Weddings and Romance Supervisor Luana Johnson, Resort Shop Supervisor Kemberly Greenaway, EPIX Supervisor Michelle Martin, Restaurant Supervisor Parmanan Umrao, Red Lane Spa Supervisor Corentia Edwards, Assistant Food and Beverage Manager O’Neil Denny, Accountant Marisa Lynch and Housekeeping Supervisors,
Bilinda Bellot-Ferris, Natasha Jno-Baptiste and Cassandra Mathias, who will embark on a transformative six-month journey.

The programme, encompassing interactive workshops, case studies, and industry best-practice sharing sessions, culminates in over 50 hours of classroom learning.

SCU Senior Director, Dr. Luz Longsworth, in highlighting the programme’s impact, emphasized the need for entry and mid-level managers to apply new business knowledge, gain advanced managerial skills, and exercise leadership behaviours while performing their current roles.

Selected participants, she underscores, will put what they have learnt into daily practice, exchange innovative ideas across resorts, and build bonds among themselves, senior leaders, and external industry experts.

This will ultimately earn them their Diplomas in Hospitality Leadership upon successful completion.

To ensure immediate application of knowledge, the programme also includes a capstone project where participants are tasked with proposing business cases for real-world opportunities facing Sandals Resorts.

This project, as Senior Regional Learning and Development Manager Melanie Altenor explained, will provide a platform to observe participants’ growth and development, witnessing their collaboration in analysing data, identifying opportunities, and proposing creative solutions.  “It fosters a culture of cross-functional thinking, encouraging critical rational, effective communication, and collaboration across departments.”

The programme’s meticulous design, custom made for Sandals, ensures its relevance to the organization’s goals responsive to the changing needs of the company as it embarks on a journey to cultivate more exceptional leaders.

Nine renowned hospitality professors from Florida International University will facilitate the programme, sharing their global insights and subject-matter expertise.

The diverse cohort, including participants from Antigua, The Bahamas, Curaçao, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, fosters a collaborative learning environment, ensuring a rich exchange of perspectives and experiences.