At a recent ceremony to open an additional 36 rooms at Maria’s By the Sea, hotel, which is very popular with those on a BVI VACATION operator Julia Dawson, referred to a youngster who has been volunteering at the property for months without pay.
She said 24 year-old Wilford Blyden of Hope Estate here on Tortola is a special youth, Blyden who said he was the one who actually approached Maria’s By The Sea.
“I am doing everything here at the hotel. From last year I have been in the kitchen. I worked my way into waitering, and soon I will work my way back in the front of the house to deal with the guests and booking them,” Blyden said.
“I find this to be a stepping stone; getting my foot in the door. Much people wouldn’t do the same, but I find it as a way to get into the {tourism} industry,” he added.
When he left college in 2011, Blyden spent a year trying to find a job in hospitality but was consistently turned down. He then turned to the Ambassadors programme, which was launched by the Ministry of Communications and Works, eventually, he obtained a job at BVI Ports Authority as a shed clerk.
Blyden could not resist his passion for the hospitality sector, therefore, he opted to volunteer at Maria’s By The Sea while keeping his full-time job at Ports Authority.
Source:bvinews.com
