All tertiary education institutions do programme evaluations in order to improve and ensure robust, relevant programming. Having undertaken an internal self-study as a first step, this week Anguilla Community College (ACC) moved ahead to the second level in the evaluation of its hospitality programme with the assistance of consultants from the Barbados Community College Hospitality Institute (BCCHI). The BCCHI is no stranger to the ACC. The initial concept for ACC as laid out by Dr Bevis Peters, was patterned on BCCHI and its Pom Marine Hotel (hospitality training School) and initial certifications offered by ACC were issued via the Barbados Community College.
The two-person hospitality evaluation team comprises Ms Jennifer Barrow, Director of the BCCHI who is working remotely, and Ms Lynn Beckles who is currently on island for one week (March 12 to 19) to support the hospitality programme evaluation. Ms Beckles, who is currently a doctoral candidate with the University of the West Indies, works with the BCCHI as a trainer/supervisor, as well as with UWI Open Campus – and also consults through Design Services Consultants, a services sector consultancy company with a focus on hospitality and tourism.
The purpose of the ACC review is to evaluate the hospitality programme, at the Anguilla Community College including course offerings, the functioning of Zenaida Café, the certification route for the hospitality programme and to engage with stakeholders to chart the way forward so that ACC can offer programming that is suited to the needs of residents of Anguilla, the Hospitality and Tourism plant as well as to the regional and international demands of the industry. This has required several meetings with a range of stakeholders including the Ministers of Education and Tourism, members of the Board (current and past), staff, students, and industry partners. The next phase will be the development of the report and recommendations before finalisation.
Ms Beckles reports that she is finding the process lively and encouraging. To learn a bit more about the Hospitality Consultant, please see Ms Beckles Bio below.
BIO – LYNN BECKLES BIO
Growing up on an island destination has afforded me an invaluable perspective on global experiences in the tourism and hospitality industry. Particularly in the areas of employee and firm performance, I received a practical understanding of their impact on efforts to develop human resource capacity, foster innovation and inspire entrepreneurship. This has been complimented by my education which has focused on human resource development, international management and marketing for service enterprises and trade and development priorities for Small Island Developing States. At the policy level, I have had the opportunity to participate in a range of policy initiatives in the Caribbean and Oceania regions in a range of hospitality and tourism activities that aim to reach international markets. These initiatives sought to address concerns that were specific to developing intersectoral linkages within the tourism industry and expand the opportunities for entrepreneurship. I continue to work closely with MSMEs in the Caribbean and Oceania to create internationally competitive products and services. In this role, I function as a mentor or business coach as empowering the owner and creating customized solutions is a critical part of my focus in those interactions. My skills also include vocational training, experiential learning and online teaching. I am qualified to design competence based curriculum, assess performance against occupational standards and conduct institutional evaluations.
My research interests evolve around my academic and corporate passions which broadly include:
1. Strategic agenda for Trade in Services for SIDS tourism destinations
2. Cultural influences on human resource development
3. Operational strategies for successful micro enterprises
4. Services management and marketing for island spaces
5. Sociology of performance in tourism and hospitality
– Press Release
16 March, 2022
