Four Seasons Resorts Maldives marks 10 years of Apprenticeship Programme
The graduation ceremony of the Four Seasons Resorts Maldives Apprenticeship Programme Class of 2011 was held last night at Nasandhura Palace Hotel yesterday, which also marks the programme’s tenth graduation ceremony to date.
The event which took place at 11:00 am at Nasandra Palace Hotel last night, was officiated by Dr. Mariyam Zulfa, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture to the Republic of Maldives.
The ceremony celebrated the graduation of 30 students from the Apprenticeship Class of 2011 as well as the official inauguration of 40 new students into the Class of 2012 – the largest single intake of apprentices since the programme began in 2001.
In his speech, Armando Kraenzlin, Regional Vice President & General Manager, Four Seasons Hotel said that the ceremony celebrates 10 years of the Apprenticeship Programme, making it the most successful and longest running scheme of its kind in the Maldives.
Since its inception, the Four Seasons Resorts Maldives Apprenticeship Programme has equipped more than 200 young Maldivians with the skills necessary to thrive in the hospitality industry, he said.
Awarded the ‘President of Maldives Award for Human Resource Development in the Tourism Industry’ in 2001, 2002 and 2004, it again hit headlines in 2010 when it became the country’s first TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training)-certified Apprenticeship scheme, with a government-accredited curriculum and nationally recognized and certified competency standards and qualifications.
The year-long programme is open to young Maldivian aged between 17 and 20 with O-level certification, an outgoing service-oriented personality, and fluency in both written and spoken English. It concentrates vocational training in an intense and collaborative environment that encourages rapid learning. Specialisation courses in areas ranging from Food & Beverage Preparation to Safe Maritime Transport are taught by leading professionals alongside many other facets of hospitality studies. Over the years, the programme’s reputation has grown to such a degree that other resorts now ask when graduates will be ready for hire; as a result, virtually all get a job upon graduation, with a degree and level of skill that would otherwise have taken years to acquire.
As the world’s leading operator of luxury hotels, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts currently manages 83 properties in 34 countries, and more than 40 projects under development. Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa reopened on September 15, 2006 while Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru opened on November 1, 2006. Both resorts offer a vacation experience of unlimited variety, and the highly personalised, anticipatory service that Four Seasons guests expect and value around the world.