ANTIGUA & BARBUDA HOTELS & TOURISM ASSOCIATION

 

The Antigua Hotels & Tourist Association (AHTA) is partnering with the University of the West Indies Open Campus in Antigua to offer training opportunities and professional development to hospitality workers. 

 

A ten week course started in early December running through to mid February and will see 50 students attend classes two times a week in the late afternoons at the Open Campus facility on Queen Elizabeth Highway.

 

There has been an overwhelming positive response to the programme increasing the number of participants from 25 originally planned to 50 and running two simultaneous classes to total four classes per week. The 50 participants hail from 13 different members companies. Whilst the majority work within the hotel industry the course is open to all tourism related companies.

The training will be facilitated by Ms Shirlene Nibbs who is no stranger to the tourism industry in Antigua.

According to Neil Forrester, General Manager – AHTA, “the initial focus of our partnership is on supervisory management training. We (AHTA) recognize the need to strengthen the middle management throughout the industry and prepare the future leaders of tomorrow. The initial enthusiasm of the participants has shown that there is a generation of workers within the hotels and resorts keen to learn the ropes and take responsibility for future of the island’s most important industry”.

 

Discussions with Head of UWI Open Campus Antigua, Ian Benn, are ongoing and it is hoped that this is the start of a long collaboration which will see a wide variety of courses offered including language training.

The AHTA continues to advocate and support professional development and educational attainment for its members by offering training through renown organization such UWI Open Campus.