Fitir Hilton Academy, a new training facility located at the Hilton Labriz Silhouette Resort and Spa in Seychelles, opened its doors in May with its first cohort of 12 students.

Most of the students, who started on June 20, are from the Seychelles Tourism Academy and are following the housekeeping and front office course.

The country director for human resources at Hilton Hotels and Resorts in Seychelles, Julita Jeremie, said the academy is open for anyone who is interested.

Jeremie said the academy will work closely with the Seychelles Institute for Technology (SIT), the Seychelles Maritime Academy, Ministry of Education, to include a list of students who have an interest in the programme but have not been selected for post-secondary institutions.

The manager for learning and development at Hilton Labriz, Raphaelle Bouchereau, said "we've made this programme here on Silhouette for the students to have another island experience, away from home. Each cohort will do a three-month training. The next batch will start in October with students who have a particular interest in restaurants, food and beverage."  

She added that the best performer will be rewarded.

"The first two students with the highest grades will be given the opportunity to do training overseas in one of the Hilton branches and the second group of five will be employed directly by one of Hilton's hotels in Seychelles and when the two new hotels open they will have the opportunity to take up jobs there as well," said Bouchereau.

Each cohort will do a three-month training at the Fitir Hilton Academy. (Juliette Dine) Photo License: CC-BY

She said that the academy is aiming to train 200 people and would like to get at least 20 to 25 participants per cohort.

Shamilla Tirant, a second-year student at the Seychelles Tourism Academy in the housekeeping course, said that she joined this training because she sees it as an opportunity to learn new skills.

Students will spend four days in the classroom and two days working on Silhouette during their three months training.

The principal secretary for tourism, Sherin Francis, said that "this initiative by Hilton Hotels compliments what the ministry of tourism is trying to do, to increase capacity building and attract people to remain in the industry and those who have left to come back to tourism. Maybe other partners in the industry can follow in their footsteps to continuously help build capacity."

Hilton Labriz Silhouette opened on Silhouette, the third-largest island of Seychelles, in 2008. The international group has three other hotels - Hilton Northolme Resort and Spa, Hilton DoubleTree-Allamanda Resort and Spa located and Mango House Seychelles, an LXR Hotels and Resorts part of the Hilton brand.

Two other hotels are being built; the Waldorf Astoria Platte Island and the Canopy by Hilton at Anse La Mouche, Mahe.