Impressive work ethic leads to employment

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18: A hospitality training scheme has helped unemployed Bermudians find work at the Reefs Hotel & Club.

A group of five graduates of the government’s waiter-server programme have just started at the award-winning resort and are already proving to be a big hit with its guests.

Tristyn Darrell, Michaele Parfitt, Patrick Perret, Husayn Muhammad and Roydell Henry completed the free four-week course at Bermuda College earlier this year.

And they are now being put through their paces at The Reefs under the watchful eye of restaurant manager Wyman Lindsay.

Mr Lindsay, who also lectures the hospitality students who take the waiter-server course, said he had been impressed with the work ethic and attitude of the new recruits.

He added: “I have worked in the hospitality industry for the last 25 years now.

“And I have a passion and an interest in training these young folks about the right way to do service.

“It is a blessing to see locals coming out to do this kind of work again.

“Bermudians working in this sector are the last of a dying breed and we need to see more.

“The hospitality industry is something I love being a part of and I enjoy sharing that passion with these new folks.

“We have been really impressed with their dedication to the job so far.”

The food server’s programme was started by government at the end of last year.

It is open to Bermudians of all ages and all backgrounds and involves a practical four-week course that provides a basic grounding in waiting and serving.

The graduates are then interviewed by hotels and restaurants across the island with a view to getting a job.

Rewarding

The Reefs is just one of several hotels that is taking on graduates from the programme.

Mr Lindsay told the Bermuda Sun: “We are known for hiring Bermudians and have our own in-house service programme that we teach to all our new staff.

“This new certification is a great way to get Bermudians into the industry again.

“It is also a very good introduction to what they will be required to do in the job.

“We have taken on people of different ages and from different walks of life.

“This is not the easiest industry to work in. Often you are working unsociable hours and when other people are enjoying their holidays.

“But it is very rewarding job and we are extremely pleased with the way the new recruits have gone so far.”

• Tristyn Darrell

Tristyn Darrell had been unemployed for months when she signed up for the waiter-server’s programme at the beginning of this year.

The 24-year-old had been studying psychology in the US when she returned to Bermuda last May.

But she found searching for work a demoralizing experience.

She said: “It was a difficult time coming back home and not being able to find work.

“But then the opportunity came up to get involved in the hospitality industry at the start of this year and I took it.

“I had never really considered a career in hospitality before, but I had always enjoyed the customer service side of things.

“I found the course good fun and very informative.”

Ms Darrell completed the four-week course and was offered a position at The Reefs.

She said: “I feel really comfortable working here. We get great training on the job and it has been really easy to get into the swing of it.

“I like the people I work with and I enjoy meeting all the hotel guests.

“Just having a job has been really important, but it also feels like a fresh start.”

• Husayn Muhammad

Husayn Muhammad spent most of his late teens studying in Trinidad and South Africa.

But when he came back to Bermuda he could only pick up part time work in a DVD store.

His sister pointed him in the direction of the waiter-server course at Bermuda College and he has not looked back since.

The 21-year-old said: “I used to be quite a nervous person and I was pretty uneasy in interviews before I took the course.

“But what I learned during those two months helped me so much towards getting offered this position at The Reefs.

“I was fortunate to get offered a couple of positions at different places when I finished the course and it felt great to be a commodity in demand for a change.”

Mr Muhammad has now been working at The Reefs for nearly a month and says he has enjoyed every minute.

He said: “Having a job means so much to me personally. It means stability for me and a sense of independence too.

“I feel I am more confident with people now, although I still get a bit nervous sometimes.

“I have learned a lot in the last few months and it has made me a more confident person as well.”

• Roydell Henry

Roydell Henry had worked in a bank for more than 20 years when she was made redundant in 2009.

The 42-year-old had always wanted to work in the hospitality industry so at the beginning of this year she signed up for the waiter-server programme at Bermuda College.

She said: “I have absolutely no regrets about taking on the course. I loved it all.

“I was in a situation where I would have done any kind of work.

“So to get the chance to work at The Reefs is amazing for me.”

The mother-of-one has been working at the Southampton hotel for around a month now.

And she says it has been an excellent experience.

She added: “It’s been wonderful. I have got the most guest comments and I have been recognized for that.

“I love the guests and getting to meet all the people who stay in the hotel.

“I was recently promoted from bus girl to waitress so I am very happy with the way it has gone.

“This whole experience has made me feel really good about myself again.

“I hope to stay here and work my way up.”

• Michaele Parfitt

Mother-of-two Michaele Parfitt really struggled to get back into full-time employment after the birth of her first daughter two years ago.

The 31-year-old said it was depressing not being able to find work to help support her family.

She added: “I had been trying to get back to work for a number of years after staying at home with my daughter.

“I found I was unemployed because I did not have any qualifications and there were times when I was out of work when I did not know how my children were going to eat.

“I heard about the server’s programme and grabbed the opportunity with both hands.”

Ms Parfitt started at The Reefs just over a week ago, and is relishing the new challenge.

She added: “When I finished the course I was offered a position at The Reefs and another hotel.

“It was really nice to feel in demand again.

“But I chose The Reefs because I felt it was a more personable place.

“I know it’s going to be a lot of work but I am up for the challenge and I am making the most of it.” N

• Patrick Perret

Patrick Perret had hoped to embark on a career at sea after completing a Maritime College course in the UK.

But his plans were scuppered by a lack of yacht placements and a nasty knee injury.

He turned to the hospitality industry instead and recently completed the waiter-servers course.

The 23-year-old said: “I came back to Bermuda in October 2011 but could not get on a yacht.

“It was a horrible period of time in my life. I was living at home and had nothing to do. I would get bored really quickly.

 “I heard about the hospitality programme and the fact that it virtually guaranteed you a job at the end, so I signed up.”

Mr Perret started work at The Reefs at the beginning of April.

He said: “I have really enjoyed my time here.

“It’s a really homey atmosphere and it’s great to meet people from across the world.

“I would like to get back to a career at sea in maybe five years from now, but this opportunity really came at the right time for me.”