VP Faisal Naseem attended the inauguration ceremony of Marriot International Maldives Apprenticeships

On May 8, 2023, Marriott International Maldives conducted an inauguration ceremony to commemorate the launch of its Apprenticeship Programme, which celebrated the introduction of 100 new apprenticeship opportunities under the National Apprenticeship Programme. His Excellency Faisal Naseem, Vice President of the Republic of Maldives, and several other dignitaries such as Emma Jones, Area Director of Human Resources Singapore, Malaysia & Maldives, Marriott International. Honorable Ahmed Mahloof, Minister of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment graced the event, which was hosted at the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa.

Marriott International is the first international hospitality brand to collaborate with the government apprenticeship program, and this initiative is a step towards developing local talent for the hospitality market. The celebration featured statements from the Maldives’ Vice President and Minister of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment, as well as Emma Jones, who all expressed their enthusiasm for the program and the opportunity it provides for young people in the Maldives.

The Vice President spoke at the event and reaffirmed the administration’s dedication to supporting youth development as well as opportunities for higher learning and training to create a strong and resilient workforce ready for the fast-changing global economy. He emphasized that the administration had made significant investments in youth development, which will lead to a more prosperous and sustainable future. The Vice President added that the government had identified the country’s needs for youth to focus their abilities and that the administration had created many programs to meet these needs. He emphasized that one such program aligned with the administration’s goal is the Marriott International Maldives Apprenticeship Programme. Reminiscing about his adolescence spent working in the hotel sector, the Vice President encouraged program participants to make the most of this opportunity to realize their aspirations.

The awarding of admittance certificates to program participants was the event’s highlight. These students will get the opportunity to gain significant hands-on experience and develop their abilities in the Maldives’ burgeoning tourism industry over the next months. The apprenticeship venues will be The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa, The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa, W Maldives, Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa, the Westin and Fari Islands, Maldives Miriandhoo Resort from Marriott International’s Maldives portfolio.

According to Emma Jones, Area Director of Human Resources for Singapore, Malaysia, and the Maldives at Marriott International, “We are embarking on a mission to join forces with the government and youth of this nation to build a future generation of highly qualified hospitality professionals from this global brand.” “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 professional goals.

The Marriott Apprenticeship Programme gives participants job experience at Marriott International resorts in the Maldives while MIT supplies the program’s educational component. The program gives selected young apprentices the ability to work throughout their assigned disciplines within the respective resort while theory 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 the Maldives Institute of Technology (MIT), which led to the establishment of the Marriott International Apprenticeship Programme.

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 formal induction was a tremendous success, and we are forward to watching the apprentices mature and advance as they start down the path to a rewarding career in the hospitality sector.