Twenty-two-year-old Caymanian Nicholas Jones has just begun his career in the hospitality industry with a generous helping hand from the Cayman Islands Tourism Association’s Scholarship Fund.
Now he has officially embarked on the first permanent post of his career by taking up a position at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.
Nicholas is one of 17 Caymanians, out of 20 new recruits at the luxury hotel, who were undergoing orientation training this week.
‘In a new orientation this high number of Caymanians is unusual,’ said the hotel’s Director of Training, Valerie Tzucker. ‘What it shows is that hospitality is becoming a more acceptable career.’
Ms Tzucker emphasised the huge potential for those who enter the hospitality field. ‘They can do anything, from HR to culinary to engineering, accounting or PR, and they can do it all in this hotel,’ she said.
Nicholas felt he wanted to do something different with his life, rather than taking a traditional career such as banking or law, like many young Caymanians do, so he decided on the field of hospitality.
‘I wanted to try something different and I thought this would give me a good chance of getting a job when I got back to Cayman,’ he said.
He undertook a four year course at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, where he got a degree in hospitality management.
The CITA scholarship he received covered $5,000 worth of fees for his final year of study.
‘The scholarship was really very helpful to me and I am very grateful for it,’ he stated.
The CITA Training, Education and Scholarship Committee selects scholarship recipients based on financial need, academic or professional achievement, extracurricular activities in school, community involvement and involvement in the CITA’s activities. Awards are based on requested information received from the application
While growing up, Nicholas studied at Cayman Prep and High School and then went on to St. Ignatius High School where he sat his ‘A’ levels.
During the second year of his course of study at university, Nicholas got to do an internship, which he took up at the Hyatt Regency in Grand Cayman. Here he gained invaluable experience by getting training in each department. The part he enjoyed most was interacting with guests through serving in the restaurants and operating the front desk.
Last summer Nicholas got a placement at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman where he got to experience the HR dealings for a hotel that was opening up.
‘We were dealing with all the job applications coming in,’ he said.
This experience prompted Nicholas to do his college dissertation on marketing strategies for new hotels.
Looking back on his decision to enter the hospitality industry Nicholas asserts, ‘It’s hard work, but it’s definitely worth it because you get to meet amazing people and it’s a really fun working environment’.
Eventually Nicholas is hoping to get into the sales and marketing field of hospitality, and perhaps some day to take up a position in Government dealing with tourism.
However, for the moment, he is to work in Destination Services for the Ritz-Carlton. This involves taking care of big groups, such as corporate bookings, that come in. He will be involved in organising excursions and activities for them, and will also accompany them on these trips.
Nicholas said his parents Richard and Sally Jones of South Sound, and his brothers William and Robert are pretty impressed that he is now working at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.
Monday is officially his first day of work following two and a half days of orientation.
‘The orientation has been fantastic,’ he commented. ‘Every manager from every department has come in to speak to us. This way we have been given an idea about how the whole hotel works,’ he stated.
Nicholas is very much looking forward to embarking on his career in tourism in the Cayman Islands.
While he was in Manchester he got to travel and experience other cultures. He visited Spain and Holland while he was in Europe.
‘I definitely needed a change to see what the world is like,’ he said.
‘I appreciate Cayman so much more now and I missed it while I was gone. Cayman has a lot to offer through its tourism industry,’ he said.
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