The artistic impression of the soon to be opened Marriot Hotel – Kigali
Marriott International Hotels is giving the opportunity to 24 Graduates from Akilah Institute for Women in Rwanda to Train and Work in its properties based in Dubai and Doha
The opportunity is presented under an initiative known as, “Job Partnership for Young African Women.”
Marriott’s selection of Rwandan collegians to participate in training and working in Dubai and Doha includes other women from various African countries.
This Initiative was launched in 2012 between Marriott International and the Akilah Institute for Women in Kigali, Rwanda.
“Marriott is committed to investing in all the communities where we build hotels, including Africa,” said Kathleen Matthews, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer at Marriott International.
“The Akilah partnership supports our strategy to serve our world, and meet our employment needs.”
As Marriott increases its presence in Africa more than six-fold from ten to 33 hotels by 2018, it anticipates hiring nearly 10,000 employees, the majority of whom will be local residents.
“We want promising, local talent to welcome our guests. We have found some of that talent through our partnership with Akilah,” said Gary Dodds, Marriott International’s vice president of human resources for the Middle East & Africa, who leads the program.
“As part of our commitment to young people in Africa, a partnership like that with Akilah is something we wish to consider at each of our hotel openings including in Ghana and Ethiopia where we have committed to build a hotel,” said Dodds.
Akilah graduates
In Rwanda the Marriott Hotel – owned by New Century Development Ltd. – will be the largest hotel with 250 rooms.
“With partnerships like Marriott, Akilah placed 100 percent of our first graduating class in jobs that are building sustainable careers in Africa,” said Elizabeth Dearborn-Hughes.
“These young women are thriving in their jobs at the hotels in Dubai and Doha, as they learn to become leaders for Marriott’s expanding portfolio of hotels in Africa.”
Marriott is also working, pre-opening, to identify female-owned businesses that can become part of the supply chain in Rwanda.
Upon their graduation in December, the new Akilah graduates will join the first group of 17 young women, who began the training program in Marriott hotels in Dubai in the fall of 2012.
All will return to Rwanda in 2014 to open Marriott’s first hotel in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Kigali Marriott.
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