MINOR Hotels wrap up fifth conducive Explorer School Leavers Programme

The foundation of MINOR Hotels’ efforts in contributing to the community of the Maldives lies in its comprehensive 12-month Explorer School Leavers Programme. Dedicated to developing the youth of the Maldives, by introducing them to the ever-growing hotel industry; the programme is a blend of on-the-job training and online or classroom training. 

The curriculum of the programme is designed by an accredited institution in Australia which is assessed as a Certificate Ⅲ in Hospitality. The fifth edition of the programme’s 12 graduates was awarded their certificates along with welcoming the new batch of 16 hopeful Explorers in Hotel Jen Malé, the Maldives by Shangri-La. 

In his opening speech, Thomas B. Meier, the Senior Vice President of hotel operations in Asia for MINOR Hotels, observed that as the global number of travellers are continuing to increase, the hospitality industry will offer everyone a great career with growth opportunities across the world. 

He reflected on the importance of sharing the warmth and the friendliness of Maldivian hospitality with all guests, in creating incredibly memorable experiences which they can take home and share with their friends, to help promote the Maldives across the world as a growing tourism destination. He concluded by saying, “I would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the property teams here in the Maldives for their efforts in driving and nurturing our explorers.” 

Speaking at the function, Caroline Stevens, the Chief People Officer, recognised that they have a lesser number of female participants in comparison to male participants. She encouraged more women to embrace the industry as there is a lot of potential for growth. She said there are three factors that are important to bring out the success of the programme. One is to make sure that the explorers are open-minded and willing to learn. The next ingredient is the support from their respective families. The third is making sure that the executives are committed to developing their people. She felt that if they continue to have those three factors, they can only continue to excel and that so far, they have proven to have the right mix. 

The Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services Shidhatha Shareef was the chief guest of the ceremony. The Minister stressed the importance of how education changes the mentality and creates opportunities. She thanked MINOR Hotels on their extended expertise and resources to the ministry in numerous ways that have not only benefited the ministry but additionally the community at large. She marked with gratitude on how one youth from Kudakudhinge Hiya has successfully completed the programme last year and how two more youth has enrolled in this year’s programme. She congratulated all the graduates and enrollers on having achieved a milestone. 

A fellow graduate, Aishath Meesam Mufeed, gave a moving speech on behalf of her batch thanking their job coaches, industry experts, parents and resort executives. “My mentality and personality both evolved collectively, as I tested my limits and rose outside the box quickly. Here I stand tall, inspiration is all I want to be.” 

MINOR Hotels is an international hotel group, with a varied portfolio of properties designed intelligently to appeal to a variety of travellers, serving new passions as well as personal needs. Minor Hotels operates in 52 countries across the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and South America.