Less than a month after launching its Inside the Industry trainee engagement series, MIC Institute of Technology Limited (MIC-IT) hosted its second instalment on Monday, focused this time on the tourism sector. The event, held at MIC-IT’s Head Office in Macoya, brought together government officials, industry partners, hospitality professionals and MIC-IT trainees to discuss workforce readiness, service standards and career opportunities across the tourism value chain.
In his welcome remarks, MIC-IT Chairman Nazim Hosein reaffirmed the institute’s role in preparing trainees for industries that demand both technical skill and professional discipline. Nathan Langaigne, General Manager of MIC-IT’s Training Division, followed with an overview of the institute’s MuST Hospitality and Tourism and Industrial Craft Programmes, highlighting their emphasis on work-based learning, industry-aligned training, certification pathways and culinary development geared toward the standards employers expect.
Representing the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism, Permanent Secretary (Ag.) Abigail Bynoe delivered remarks on behalf of Minister Satyakama Maharaj. She commended MIC-IT for exposing trainees to real industry conditions and emerging opportunities, noting that tourism amounts to far more than visitor numbers, extending into employment, entrepreneurship, community development and economic activity across multiple sectors.
Hansen Narinesingh, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, spoke on behalf of Minister Prakash Persad, describing the event as a bridge between education and industry that exposes trainees to real-world experience and the skills needed to compete in a global market. He echoed the view that tourism should be seen not merely as a source of jobs, but as a profession offering diverse career paths and international opportunities.
Industry speakers throughout the session stressed that success in hospitality and tourism comes down to more than qualifications, attitude, adaptability, personal presentation and a willingness to keep learning matter just as much.
Renique Ashton, a chef at Courtyard by Marriott Port of Spain, shared her own career path, from early exposure to the culinary field and an internship at Marriott to international work experience in Dubai. She urged trainees to stay focused, set clear goals, seek out mentors already working in the industry, and give their best in every opportunity that comes their way.
Also from Courtyard by Marriott Port of Spain, Operations Manager Leslie-Ann Dorner-Byron spoke as an industry partner involved in trainee development through workplace-based training, telling attendees that while skills matter, attitude is often what separates a good employee from an exceptional one.
Ria La Fleur, Head of Training at the Excellence Hub of United Hospitality Management’s The Palms in Dubai, returned to the series after appearing at its inaugural Hospitality Edition. Drawing on her international experience in luxury hospitality, she spoke to trainees about global service standards, communication, personal branding and adaptability, encouraging them to view hospitality as a profession with global reach and to seize every opportunity to build the attitude and skills needed to succeed both locally and abroad.
Through the Inside the Industry series, MIC-IT is working to build a practical bridge between classroom training and the workplace, while giving employers and other stakeholders closer insight into the institute’s training pipeline. The Tourism Edition reinforced a central message for trainees: that the sector depends not just on destinations and products, but on people prepared to serve, adapt and perform to a professional standard. MIC-IT says it will continue the series as part of its broader effort to strengthen the link between training and industry, helping trainees see how their skills, attitude and ambition can shape the future of Trinidad and Tobago’s hospitality and tourism sector.