‘A whole school’ needed for hospitality training- Claude O. Skelton-Cline
Speaking on the Honestly Speaking broadcast on May 20, 2025, Skelton-Cline qualified this position by citing the myriad of issues surrounding local labour capacity, particularly in the service industry, and described a need for institutional training systems that prepare Virgin Islanders for employment in tourism and related fields.
Economic success
“A whole school, a whole component of our educational system, which the private sector could help and should help fund, is needed for training people in the hospitality industry—not as a one-off, but as a built-in institutional part of our country’s systems,” he said.
Further qualifying this position, he cited the model used in the Philippines, where the government has developed and supports a labour export framework, including training and support systems to prepare citizens for global service sector employment.
“The country of the Philippines has developed a culture, (where) part of their GDP is training their population in a multiplicity of disciplines.” According to Skelton-Cline, “They develop a culture with all the ancillary systems and structure and protection for their people so that when their people go out to other parts of the world to be gainfully employed, there's a direct monetary connect back to the country of their origin.”
As such, Skelton-Cline was adamant there needs to be changed attitudes domestically, towards service roles within the local culture, stating that hospitality work must be viewed as valuable and necessary to economic success.
Not an overnight fix
To this end, he suggested, “There must be a meaningful collaboration between government and the private sector… reshaping, recalibrating, reformatting a culture here that lends itself to service industries.”
Cognisant, such a transformation would require long-term planning and should be reflected in national policy, budgeting, and human resource strategies, he told the listening audience, “I know this is not an overnight fix.” He proffered nonetheless, that in order to change that culture, “It has to be reflected in your budget. It has to be reflected in the policies, in the managers and officers you are putting in place.”
With approximately 65 percent of the Virgin Islands’ population employed in service-related roles, he reminded, “People are prepared to pay for service—as long as that service is being delivered in an efficient, quality, kind, embracing way.”
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18 Responses to “‘A whole school’ needed for hospitality training- Claude O. Skelton-Cline”
What do we pay tax for anyway? It can’t be for public infrastructure or healthcare. Now Skelton Crime is telling us it isn’t for education. I guess it’s just parties and travel after all.
The Marine studies centre was a first-class institution that never seemed to have the backing of the NDP administration and therefore never came to any sort of fruition. When I say a first-class institution, the building was designed and equipped to be equal to or better than any similar international institution.
Prospect reef was bought by NDP but they lost the election and the then VIP never backed it an instead built the now empty culinary building that we see at mansion hall.
The link between these two entities proves why politics is destroying the BVI because of improper planning, prioritizing and development continuity.
I believe in investing in the young people 10000% ,building a nation that have broken foundations will take longer time of repair. I recall while working for a specific company,I would sit in my office and every day observed the behavior of the staff walk in and out without saying anything, not good morning,not hello,not how your day going, but they will take hours spilling their opinions about community issues and why Such and such is happening .Really silliness,my wish that always someone invest in their levels of conversation that will bring insight to alternatives of problem solving.
Another ,thing I experience is the folly of managers discussing the staff abilities without the staff presence, with people who do not work for the company.The ethics of business is deafening,while it’s a thin line between ethics and morals ,managers should understand the difference between leaders and managers and try to always change the narrative. I was having a meeting with my manager when he received a phone call,put it on speaker ,I told him I will step out until he finished his conversation, his reply was sit it will only take a minute “ it was all about one of his staff who he give three grand to travel. The next week I hand in my resignation. Some stupidity I cannot deal with.
Furthermore, this idea of customer service, are one area where community empowerment help built equity for BVI this should have been built into the Technical school in Baughers Bay years ago. There is one in London that are certified they give the City and Guide certification ,someone should contact them and start changing the narrative in nation building.
maybe another seminar is needed
We need a hospitality training school? We also need a better marine training school to teach everything from basic swimming to sailing and boat building/maintenance, marine safety, etc?
And we OWN Prospect Reef?
Which has the remains of rooms and buildings perfect for hospitality training.
And harbour, maritime and pool facilities prefect for training generations of ocean users?
And we can make it so good people from around the region come here to train, maybe even around the world?
So, government, what are you waiting for? Raise some funds from outside, appropriate some funds from our own tax and other income streams, and let's build a world class training centre for both of these things with AN ASSET THAT WE ALREADY OWN!
Duh.