Robert Sands, immediate past president of the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), has publicly declared that merging the Bahamas Hotel Training College with the University of The Bahamas stands as “the worst decision I ever made in my tourism career.” The candid admission came during a panel on workforce development at the Bahamas Out Islands Promotion Board’s Annual General Meeting.
Sands, who originally supported the consolidation, now believes it dismantled a vital pipeline for practical, skills-based education tailored for the hospitality industry. He argued that while some tourism professionals thrive in academic settings, the majority of sector workers are “more practically endowed.” The merger, he contended, effectively “eliminated an opportunity for persons to matriculate in their passions.” This revelation arrives amid renewed efforts to reintroduce robust vocational training programs to address critical staffing shortages.
The workforce challenge is particularly acute in the Family Islands, described by BOIPB executive director Kerry Fountain as a “shallow workforce pool.” Sands acknowledged the issue’s complexity, noting it is more severe in the Out Islands than in New Providence. However, he highlighted a positive shift: an 18-month collaboration between the University of The Bahamas and major hotel operators is signaling a stronger focus on bridging these gaps. Several hotels are now partnering directly with UB to identify and recruit suitable students.
Sands also pointed to a structural flaw within the industry contributing to stagnation: compensation models that sometimes result in line employees out-earning their managers. This creates a disincentive for upward mobility, forcing hotels to “work with and train up” middle managers internally. The solution, Sands explained, requires creating structured pathways for advancement and ensuring commensurate compensation.
Reflecting on his own career, Sands shared that his advancement was fueled by a willingness to seek international experience, even taking a pay cut for a position in Guyana in 1982. He contrasted this with a modern reluctance among workers to leave their “comfort zone,” urging Bahamian hotel employees to embrace such growth opportunities when they arise, viewing them as a strategic step backward to ultimately make ten steps forward.