Roy Sanford, Gleaner WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE SANDALS resort, Montego Bay, yesterday launched a training programme for 15 young men and women from Flankers, north west St. James, a move the organisers say will have a profound impact on the community. The programme is dubbed the Sandals/Flankers Training And Recruitment Tier (START).
It was hailed as the 'best Christmas present in the world' by Marilyn Nash, president of the Flankers Citizens' Association.
"It is very difficult at times for us to get acceptance from people and we are so happy for a programme like this," she said.
Mrs. Nash said the programme could not have come at a better time since 70 per cent of the 5,000 young people in the community are unemployed. Horace Peterkin, general manager of Sandals Montego Bay, said START would continue on a rotational basis. "As soon as the first set graduates we will be bringing on additional new community members and the programme will go on," he said.
Mr. Peterkin said the idea for START came about after the recent upheavals in the community following the alleged shooting of two elderly men there by the police. "We listened keenly to what the community felt was their most pressing need which was to have a skills training centre," he said.
Establishing a training centre would have been too expensive and time-consuming, so the resort opted instead to take the youngsters to the Sandals Montego Bay property for training.
"We have a virtual skills training centre here," the hotelier said. "And we can provide training in nearly all areas that you can imagine."
The 15 participants were selected based on recommendations from community leaders and after passing a test set by Sandals. Mr. Peterkin said the hotel was working with the HEART Trust/NTA to ensure that the trainees were properly accredited when they graduate.
He said that after the three-month programme, the possibility exists that they could be employed by Sandals Montego Bay. "Right now we have no vacancies but things change all the time," he said.
