At Hilton, we are passionately invested in the future of hospitality and strongly believe in connecting young people to our many career opportunities. Whether equipping young people with personal and professional skills or employing them to start their hospitality journey, we are on a mission to help the next generation become the best version of themselves.
Take, for example, the Fitir Hilton Academy. Hosted by the Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa, the academy started as a vocational program for tourism students, offering behavioral, communication, and hands-on hospitality training with the intent to hire program graduates. Just over a year later (and twenty-three graduates-turned-Team Members!), we are talking with one of the program’s founders to reflect on the outstanding impact this program has had on its community.
Forming the Academy
Andre Borg, Country General Manager for Seychelles, and Raphaelle Bouchereau, now the Assistant Human Resources & Development Manager for the soon-to-open Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island, first discussed the idea of Hilton Fitir Academy in early 2022. Armed with the knowledge that the upcoming Waldorf would need staff, they sought a candidate pool that could quickly join the workforce. Their main priority, however, was to uncover local talent and create new opportunities for young people at Hilton. “The idea was to localize more of the positions in Seychelles,” Raphaelle says. “The training would last three months and, initially, we wanted to train students in only two departments (such as housekeeping and front office) per cohort. Hilton Fitir Academy would be a facility where students learn on the job.” The first month of training would be an introduction to Hilton. The second month would focus on best-in-class, firsthand training at the program’s home base, the Hilton Seychelles La Breeze, where the students live. The last month would see students cross-training at one of Hilton’s four hotels in Seychelles. The top two graduates from each class would get to work abroad for further cross-training. With these concepts in mind, the academy launched its first cohort in the summer of that year.
Growing the Program
Although the academy’s primary focus is on-the-job learning, that is far from the only training students get exposed to during the program. A few of these course exposures stem from lessons learned between the first and second cohorts. “After the first cohort completed the program, we realized there were opportunities for improvement. One of those was the length of the program, so we increased training from three months to four. We also added more communication and behavioral lessons to the syllabus,” Raphaelle explains. Another notable change between the first and second cohorts? Expanding the program prerequisites to accept applications from young people across the country instead of solely Seychelles Tourism Academy students. “We received so many resumes from people who wanted to join through word of mouth and publicity. This says so much about the impact of the program.”Making an Impact
One question Raphaelle often receives is, “Why Fitir Hilton?” Her explanation echoes the impact the academy has had not only on its students but on the local community.
