Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives and UNICEF have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advocate for children’s rights, support skill development and foster career-exploration in the hospitality industry for the Maldivian youth.
Maciej Gruszecki, General Manager of Mövenpick Maldives and Dr. Munir Safieldin, UNICEF Representative to the Maldives, formalised the agreement in a signing ceremony on Sunday 6 th October 2019 at the Resort. Witnessing the occasion were the Noonu Atoll local council, the Manadhoo school principal and the Resort’s management team.
Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives is the first resort in the Maldives to collaborate with UNICEF to provide opportunities for young locals to acquire skills and experience and improve their employability in the Maldives’ growing tourism industry.
Suitable candidates, identified by UNICEF, will learn from the hands-on experience through a 6- month vocational training or a 12-month, paid apprenticeship programme at the Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives. Building the right skills for the current work environment is key and training for ethics, customer relations, inter-personal skills and English language is vital to give young people the required edge to be employed in the challenging hotel and hospitality industry of the Maldives.
“We are privileged to partner with UNICEF in helping local youth by offering an avenue in which they can shape their future,” said Maciej Gruszecki, General Manager of Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives. “As part of a global leading hospitality group, we feel strongly about our obligation to contribute to the growth and in development of our local community. Sharing our time and expertise by opening our doors to youths wishing to pursue a career in the tourism industry is something that we believe will have a very positive impact.”
Dr Munir Safieldin, UNICEF Representative to the Maldives, added “The tourism sector is a key contributor to the Maldivian economy yet, few young Maldivians are employed in this sector. This sector has the potential to absorb many young Maldivian men and women searching for jobs. The partnership between UNICEF and the Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives aims to equip young Maldivians with the skills and work experience required for valuable jobs in the tourism sector”.
While in the program, candidates will have the chance to work in different departments including Front Office, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage and the Culinary brigade, while receiving mentoring from various department heads. Access to training modules will also be provided to participants to enhance the experience.
A graduation ceremony will mark the completion of the internship and apprenticeship programs with opportunities for students to take on permanent jobs based on their performance.
As part of the agreement, both parties will join forces to advocate for child rights through public events to mark key moments such as the World Children’s Day, International Youth Day and World Water Day, in the islands of Noonu atoll together with local communities.
The Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives and UNICEF partnership also sets out to provide safe drinkable water and reading materials to selected schools in the Noonu Atoll of the Maldives. Ensuring water security through the provision of water filters and reusable water bottles will ensure the promotion of environmentally friendly practices and reduce single-use plastic items.
