“We have trained over 1800 persons throughout the industry, and we anticipate that we should see a 1,000 to 1200 persons next week when the Gold Seal staff training continues,” he said during an interview with GIS on Wednesday, November 18 2020.

Meanwhile, Director of the Culinary and Hospitality Studies Keisha Davis-Barnes who was also speaking via the same medium, stated that the programme was held on Jost Van Dyke and Anegada and it is currently ongoing in Virgin Gorda and Tortola. While the supervisors/managers training is being held online.

“One of the great things about the Gold Seal initiative is creating this platform that helps persons who are rendering service in our country to ensure that they understand what COVID-19 is; what is social distancing, what is the difference between disinfecting and sanitising.”

She continued: “The fact that keeping ourselves safe and our guests safe is important to us. So every person who is rendering service to the tourism industry when you go through the Gold Seal you will at least have the knowledge and capabilities of ensuring that we keep visitors and ourselves safe during the rendering of service.”

According to a press release from the Government, the Tourism Certification Training was launched on October 9 and is being offered through the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. The programme was developed under the internationally recognised certification “START”- the Skills, Task, and Results Training under the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute.

The course covers 12 of the major line-level positions in the hospitality industry and teaches the skills and tasks necessary to do each job. In addition, the student also learns about other areas including the lodging industry, guest service, professionalism and safety.