Chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association (ABHTA), Craig Marshall, believes that workers should have more opportunities to hold top positions in the hospitality industry.
Marshall was speaking with Union leaders from across the region and the globe attending the Hotel, Restaurant Catering, and Tourism (HRCT) Trade Group Board Meeting for the International Union of Food, Agriculture, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Association (IUF).
(L-R) Chester Hughes - ABWU Deputy General Secretary, Craig Marshall - ABHTA Chairman, Sue Longley - IUF General Secretary
"As employers in the islands, we need to do a much better job when it comes to how we are progressing people within the industry,” Marshall said. "Too often, it is too easy for hoteliers to bring in skilled staff and it therefore dampens down the opportunity of another worker being able to, maybe, go to a different position, particularly management positions."
Marshall underscored the need for policies that ensure a transfer of high-value skills so that persons serving in various management roles have an opportunity to grow into a general manager position.
Marshall added that there is also need for a general change in the perception of hospitality jobs. He noted that the ABHTA has been penetrating schools to help young individuals understand the range and quality of career opportunities available within the industry.
