A number of participants from resorts and hotels in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis are attending an OAS sponsored Front Desk Representative Certification Workshop. The training exercise is part of the wider technical cooperation project entitled, “Capacity Building: Tourism Training and Certification Project”. The project is designed to enable St. Kitts and Nevis to foster the development of a lucrative and sustainable tourism industry by improving its human resources as well as the country’s ability to compete in the modern economy.
The event commenced on Monday October 19, 2009 at the Frigate Bay Resort and will end on Friday, October 23, 2009. The workshop will provide practical training in a number of key areas that are relevant to the variety of tasks that Front Desk Representatives perform. The subject areas that will be covered are part of a certification program designed by the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute. At the end of the course, all participants will be given an examination. Successful candidates will earn an important and credible designation that will acknowledge their competence, and they will also be conferred with the qualification and authority to train others as well.
In giving remarks at the opening session, OAS Representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Starret Greene, reminded the Front Desk Representatives that they were always in the public eye and were often the first line of customer service for their respective properties, and therefore their attitude and behavior on the job would influence the overall guests experience. The OAS Diplomat challenged front desk workers to perform at a very high standard since it helped to inject a feeling of satisfaction and confirmed in the minds of the guests that they made the right decision in terms of the property they chose.
The workshop is organized by the St. Kitts Tourism Department and coordinated by Ms. Novelette Morton, head of the Human Resource Division. A similar exercise will commence in Nevis on October 26, 2009.
Funding was provided through the OAS Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (FEMCIDI)
