Marriott International Maldives Launches Inaugural Apprenticeship Program with Celebration

Inauguration ceremonies for Marriott International Maldives' Apprenticeship Program and the start of 100 new apprenticeship opportunities under the National Apprenticeship Program were held on May 8, 2023. His Excellency Faisal Naseem, Vice President of the Republic of Maldives, Honorable Ahmed Mahloof, Minister of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment, and Emma Jones, Area Director of Human Resources for Singapore, Malaysia & Maldives, Marriott International, graced the occasion. It was held at Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa.

Marriott International is the first international hospitality brand to work with the government apprenticeship program, and this initiative is a step towards developing local talent for the hospitality market. The inauguration ceremony is a significant milestone for both Marriott International and the government of the Maldives. The Maldives Vice President, the Minister of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment, Emma Jones, and others gave moving statements during the ceremony, expressing their support for the initiative and the opportunities it offers Maldivian youth.

The Vice President spoke at the event and reaffirmed the administration's dedication to youth development, higher education, and training opportunities to create a strong and resilient workforce ready for the world's constant change. He noted that the administration has made serious investments in the growth of young people, creating a more prosperous and long-lasting future. The Vice President claimed that the government had determined the needs of the country for young people to concentrate their abilities and that the administration had started a number of programs aimed at meeting these needs. He emphasized that one such initiative that is in line with the administration's objectives is the Marriott International Maldives Apprenticeship initiative. 

The Vice President urged the program participants to exploit this chance to their full potential in order to realize their aspirations as he recalled his own experience as a young man working in the hotel industry.

The awarding of admittance credentials to the program participants was the event's high point. Over the upcoming months, these students will have the chance to enhance their talents and earn useful real-world experience in the growing tourism sector of the Maldives. The apprenticeship will take place at one of the seven Maldives resorts in Marriott International's portfolio, which also includes The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa, W Maldives, Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa, Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa, and The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort.

In order to create a future generation of highly skilled hospitality workers from this global brand, we are starting a mission to work with the government and youth of this country, said Emma Jones, Area Director of Human Resources for Singapore, Malaysia, & the Maldives, Marriott International. "We are thrilled to have our new apprentices join us today, and we are excited about the contribution they will make to our company," she continued, expressing her enthusiasm for the program. We have no doubt that working for Marriott International will be both demanding and gratifying for them, and we hope it will help them realize their career goals.

The Marriott Apprenticeship Program gives participants job experience at Marriott International resorts in the Maldives while MIT supplies the program's theoretical component. The program gives selected young apprentices the ability to work throughout their assigned specialties within the respective resort while theoretical sessions are taught to meet the requirements of a level-3 certificate that has been approved by the Maldives Qualification Authority (MQA). Apprentices will graduate from the program with a level-3 certificate that complies with national competency criteria set by the Maldives National Skills Development Authority (MNSDA) and with skills that will make them highly employable in the hospitality sector. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on March 7, 2023, by Marriott International Maldives, the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment, and Maldives Institute of Technology (MIT), which led to the establishment of the Marriott International Apprenticeship Program.

The relationship is anticipated to have a good effect on the tourism sector in the Maldives, and the event represents a crucial step toward creating a successful pipeline of indigenous talent in that nation. The official opening was a great success, and Marriott International is eager to watch the apprentices mature and advance as they start down the road to a lucrative career in the hospitality sector.