Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 01, 2014 News
Guyanese must be given the first opportunity to work at the much touted five-star Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.
This is according to A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Shadow Labour Minister Basil Williams.
One section of the media over the weekend questioned where Marriott would be sourcing the requisite quality of staff for the Hotel and noted the possibility of the importation of skills.
Williams is however adamant that Guyanese must be given the first opportunity, adding that anything less would be contemptuous on the part of Atlantic Hotel Inc (AHI), the company that essentially owns the Marriott.
Williams said that AHI should be advertising for jobs at the Hotel and added too that there are Guyanese locally and abroad that are qualified to fill the imminent vacancies.
At present there have been no advertisements placed in any local media outlet, for persons to fill vacancies at the Hotel which is set to open in a matter of months.
The only announcement of employment came recently when AHI publicized that a General Manager has been identified to run the Hotel.
Marriott International Inc appointed Roberto Grisias as General Manager of the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Georgetown and he was set to assume the position effective June 1, 2014.
The Marriott US$58M Hotel is being built using US$19.5M from the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). However no Guyanese were employed in its construction.
Shanghai Construction Group (SCG), had demanded Chinese labour be used as part of the contract conditionalities.
The Administration had defended this position saying that there was a shortage of skills in Guyana.
The fact that Guyanese were not employed at the Marriott attracted scathing criticism from political parties, trades unions and social activists, among others.
Winston Brassington the main public figurehead behind the project had last year announced that when Marriott opens its doors, it will employ over 200 Guyanese which will be permanent workers.
The Hotel is almost complete but there has been no Guyanese has been trained to deliver the Five Star quality of service required.
The objective of Five Star service is to improve guest satisfaction, while increasing employee morale and to develop the coaching skills of managers and supervisors.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, in his 2014 Budget presentation had announced that Government allocated US$4M to build a “hospitality institute to ensure that we produce world class personnel for this important industry going forward.”
According to Dr. Singh, tourist arrivals have increased, international media coverage has been strongly favourable, and important niche markets are emerging for the local tourism product.
“All indications are that this sector will be a key contributor to value added production as well as job creation in the near and medium term.”
This school is yet to commence construction however and as such it is unclear where the 200 Guyanese earmarked to work at the Marriott when completed will access training, and for how long.
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