The Tribune

ONE hundred Bahamians attended the opening of Baha Mar’s Leadership Development Institute (LDI), an independent, non-profit training initiative supported by the $2.6 billion Cable Beach developer.

The opening ceremony is the culmination of five LDI community meetings that were held over the past three weeks, and attracted about 3,500 people who wanted to learn more about the training programme.

Sarkis Izmirlian, Baha Mar’s chief executive and chairman, said: “We can build the walls but unless we have the right men and women to create the Baha Mar experience, we will not have succeeded.”

According to LDI’s executive director, radio personality Jeff Lloyd, community meetings have yielded about 3,500 job applications to-date.

The 100-strong class will undertake the first of several 16-week day programmes for unemployed men and women aged 16 to 24. Candidates who demonstrate a commitment to Baha Mar’s standards and successfully complete the programme will be offered employment in areas such as food and beverage, housekeeping, cleaning services, grounds maintenance and security.

Additional classes for adults aged 25 and older with work experience are slated to begin in the coming weeks.
 “We will hit the ground running. We want to teach these young men and women to go beyond excuses and to accomplish their goals,” said Mr Lloyd.