As part of Arabella Starwood’s skills development plan, eight service staff from around the country have been selected to travel to Switzerland this month to attend an intensive three week hospitality course at the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality in Passugg - Chur.

The 2009 winners of Arabella Starwood’s annual Shining Star Programme include two staff members from The Westin Grand Cape Town, two staff members from the Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa, three staff members from the Sheraton Pretoria and one from Blaauwklippen Wine Estate.

The Shining Star Programme is organised through the Arabella Centre of Excellence, which as part of the Group’s skills development plan, provides educational and training initiatives in the hospitality industry for employees, youth and the previously disadvantaged. All candidates going on the trip have been selected by their peers for their hard work, team spirit and commitment to excellence.

Says Arabella Starwood Chief Operating Officer, Friedrich Schaefer, “It is wonderful to see staff participants increased levels of motivation and commitment as a result of the Shining Star Programme. The trip recognises the outstanding achievement by members of our service staff and supports our ongoing plan to develop future leaders for our business. It is even more gratifying that they have been recognised and chosen by their fellow employees.”

Says Arabella Starwood Human Resource Director, Heineke Brand, “We have many staff whom we train and whose skills we develop in order to advance their careers. What is exciting about this programme and the trip is that it allows the winners an opportunity to learn at a top international hospitality school, an opportunity that they may otherwise not have had. Many have never travelled abroad before this. Hopefully, they will broaden their horizons, learn and share it with others.”

The Shining Star Programme was established four years ago and is run on the basis of a finalist being selected each month by management and co-workers across the Group’s hospitality units, culminating in a final announcement every year of the winners for the 12 months, from April to March. Winners enjoy three weeks of intensive training in Switzerland at the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality which allows each student to gain guided experiential hotel training as well as theoretical studies in Beverages, Microbiology, Food & Beverage Service, Cuisine, and Swiss Hotel & Tourism.

The five Cape Town winners for the 2009 Shining Star Programme include Executive Secretary, Joy Jackson and Hostess, Chevonne Stevens from The Westin Grand Cape Town; Porter, Christopher Kilani and Chef, Mpho Kolokoto from the Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa; and Sous Chef, Hanele Rabe from Blaauwklippen Wine Estate.  Chevonne and Christopher have never travelled outside of the Western Cape before; and none of them, except Hanele, have ever travelled outside of South Africa.

Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa Porter, Christopher Kilani (30), from Zwelishwe near Hermanus, is working towards becoming a manager within the Hotel. Says Christopher, “I believe I can achieve this through hard work and by focussing on my career plans. This trip is a dream come true and provides me with a real opportunity to improve both my skills and understanding of the hospitality industry. I couldn’t be more excited!”

With a Diploma in Hospitality Management, Chef, Mpho Kolokoto (28) lives in Botrivier with his wife and son and has an abiding passion for food. “I want to become an Executive Chef at the Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa or one of the Arabella Starwood properties. This is a dream come true for me, and I’m thrilled to be able to travel to Switzerland with my colleagues and learn at such a prestigious institute,” comments Mpho.

Blaauwklippen’s 2009 winner, Hanele Rabe (27) from Paarl, has been working at Blaauwklippen’s Barouche Restaurant as Sous Chef for the past three years and intends to focus on fine tuning her already sharp skills in the kitchen while in Switzerland. Says Hanele, “I’m excited and thankful to have been given this opportunity. International exposure is always a plus when it comes to the hospitality industry, and to study and learn from a world-renowned institution like the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality is a dream come true for me.”

Currently a hostess, Chevonne Stevens (21), from Bishop Lavis, wants to grow into a Food & Beverage Assistance Manager. One of the many reasons for Chevonne’s Shining Star nomination was due to her proactive attitude and determination to communicate more effectively with Spanish and Italian guests. For four months she would ask the Hotel’s tour guides to teach her a sentence in Spanish and Italian daily, which she would practice and later ask the guides to check up on her pronunciation before adding more words the following day.

Executive Secretary Joy Jackson (40) lives in Edgemead and has been employed by The Westin Grand Cape Town for the past five years. “I joined the hotel industry without any prior experience or even a hotel diploma behind my name. I’ve been fortunate in taking on the role of Executive Secretary to the Hotel Manager, which has allowed me to absorb a general overview of the entire industry within all departments. I believe that this trip, my first ever trip overseas, is an education in itself. I hope to use it to navigate a path towards a more operational role in the hotel, ultimately to become an Executive member of the Management team.”

The group departed for Switzerland on Sunday 9 August.