The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

THE Cable Beach mega-resort Baha Mar graduated another 160 students from its Leadership Development Institute (LDI) yesterday.

The students were the second class to graduate from the LDI, a non-profit training institute funded by the resort.

“The LDI is playing a significant role in the assets of Baha Mar once we open in spring 2015. We are extremely encouraged of this cadre of young Bahamians who will form the backbone of Baha Mar’s employment base once we open. They’re going to form the foundation of our recruitment effort,” said Senior Vice President of Administration and External Affairs Robert Sands. The students, chosen from hundreds of applicants, spent 16 weeks training in day and evening classes as a part of Baha Mar’s multi-million dollar investment in training and recruiting Bahamians to work at the resort.

The course, which caters to men and women aged 16-24 and 25 and older respectively, provides job readiness training in areas such as communication and time management, leadership, numeracy and parenting skills.

Upon completion, the graduates each received guaranteed job offers from Baha Mar to work in various areas such as food and beverage, housekeeping and security.

Keynote speaker, activist and author Dr Calvin Mackie said he was impressed with the LDI. He said the institute and its graduates would “help people come back to the Bahamas”.

“I’ve been around the world and it’s not too often that companies will invest this type of time and resources into the youth of the communities in which they’re doing business,” he said. “I’m very impressed and I do believe that this will make a big difference because the investment is there.”

According to Mr Sands, Baha Mar currently has a third class that is larger than both the first and second graduating classes, and it consists of “some intellectually and developmentally challenged individuals”.

He added that at the end of the training the company hopes to have 1,000 graduates who are prospective employees.