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75 graduate VI first hospitality Pop-up School

75 graduate VI first hospitality Pop-up School. Team of Reporters
Guest Speaker at the graduation ceremony— President of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC)—Ms Judith E. Vanterpool. Photo: Team of Reporters
Guest Speaker at the graduation ceremony— President of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC)—Ms Judith E. Vanterpool. Photo: Team of Reporters
Team members of the international Pop up School - Saira Hospitality. Photo: Team of Reporters
Team members of the international Pop up School - Saira Hospitality. Photo: Team of Reporters
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - Seventy Five, men and women who were certified as ‘trained’ in 'Hospitality' graduated at a ceremony held in their honour last night, November 23, 2018—the first to have benefited from the international Pop up School - Saira Hospitality.

The intensive training programme is executed through a partnership with Sir Richard Branson' Unite BVI, VP bank, Scrub Island Resort, Bitter End Yacht Club, Rosewood little Bay Resort, Cooper Island resort among others.

Guest Speaker at the graduation ceremony— President of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC)—Ms Judith E. Vanterpool, charged that customer service in the hospitality industry is not just external, "it's not just when somebody comes to your workplace. Customer service starts within your company. That's why we say charity begins at home."

Brainchild of Chanrai  

The school is the brainchild of Ms Harsha Chanrai, of London England.

Her growth with the hospitality school boomed, when in 2014, she won the Cornell business’ Panpitch’ a baton, she has since passed on the Ms Cathy O. Richards, who won the 1st business pitch of Saira Hospitality Pop-up School.

At the graduation Ms Chandrai was visibly emotional, a result of witnessing the impact her school has made in the lives of VI service providers, especially after the devastation of Hurricane Irma and Maria in 2017.

"When we look into your turquoise seas and white sands, we see the true challenges we face on these islands…I can't pretend to know what it felt like to have Irma take so much from you but I hope that Saira will be remembered as one that give back to you –a silver lining in the storm," she said in congratulating her graduates.

Two Months

The Hospitality course delivered by Saira, ran over a two month period and covered the vast majority of topics in the industry and was delivered in eight modules.

Students spent three days in classrooms at Tortola and Virgin Gorda and one day in hands-on training at Scrub Island working and learning the activities of all of the department's there.

Fridays were dedicated to health, food and nutrition where they visited several farms and participated in meditation and exercise activities.

Additionally they were exposed to fine dining experiences, visits to luxury hotels and resorts and motivational sessions by different levels of entrepreneurs.

1 Response to “75 graduate VI first hospitality Pop-up School ”

  • humm (24/11/2018, 13:09) Like (6) Dislike (11) Reply
    Happy for the students but what happens now? The pop school will be gone and the most important component of training which is follow up will not happen. Why is the President of the college even speaking at this event when she competed with the college?

    I mean we never look at the bigger picture do we. Isn’t the college in need of money?

    Does the college not have a workforce training section that this initiatve could have gone through?

    People wake up.

    How many of them will get a job at Scrub?

    Wake up BVI wake up.


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