Business

Visitor Industry Council (VIC) to provide scholarships to Caribbean-American students

VIC creates executive opportunities for minorities on December 2nd at Career Fair

MIAMI – The Visitor Industry Council (VIC) hosted an exclusive job fair at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa on November 14th, the first of many VIC supported Hospitality Career Fairs.

In Miami, the hospitality industry generates $13.9 billion in revenues.

The VIC program provides scholarships for African-American, Caribbean and Haitian students seeking hospitality management careers in the visitor industry.

In attendance were over 100 students studying Hospitality Management at Miami Dade College (MDC), Florida International University (FIU) and Johnson & Wales University, and high school students from the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism.

The VIC program includes introducing students to the business members of Miami’s hospitality industry for internships and job opportunities.

According to Al West, Vice Chair of the Visitor Industry Council, “the VIC program, in partnership with the Doral Golf Resort and Spa, gives African American students the opportunity to pursue executive hospitality and tourism management positions”.

The Doral Golf Resort and Spa is currently seeking to fill multiple positions, including entry level management positions and paid internships.

Mimi Ephrium, Director of Human Resource Operations expresses how “The Doral Golf Resort and Spa is in a win/win situation. We are able to demonstrate opportunities to students in the hopes that The Doral Golf Resort and Spa will be their property of choice. I was very impressed with the quality of students that participated in the job fair and we expect to make 15 -20 hires from those candidates interviewed”.

The innovative results-oriented VIC program is designed not only to enhance the diversity of Miami’s largest industry, tourism, but also to encourage local Black students to recognize and pursue the many top career opportunities available in the local hospitality industry.

The Doral Golf Resort and Spa’s participation in the VIC program is one component of a concerted effort to meet the Marriott Corporation’s vision of diversity; having African American associates be a significant part of the organization, as well as meeting the performance measures that are in place for each Marriott property.

The Marriott Corporation performs an annual assessment of each property’s diversity goals and placements. The Doral Golf Resort and Spa’s diversity vision is for the resort to reflect the diversity of South Florida at every level of management and to set the tone for talent development in Miami’s hospitality industry.

Currently, The Doral Golf Resort & Spa has openings at all levels, including hourly, entry level management, mid, senior and executive level placement opportunities and plans a career fair on Saturday, December 2nd.


(Left) Larry Rice, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board of the Visitor Industry Council (VIC) introduces (Center) Tuni Kyi, Vice President & General Manager of Doral Golf Resort & Spa to (Right) Sherline Lexime, a VIC student at Johnson & Wales University during the recent Job Fair held at Doral to fill multiple internship and entry level management positions.

Related Articles

Back to top button