Charles Ajunwa
As part of efforts of upgrading services to meet clients’ satisfaction and build a workforce reputed globally, Lagos Continental Hotel has inaugurated a new training academy and staff dormitory.
The two projects are a few metres from the main hotel, along Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The General Manager, Lagos Continental Hotel, Christoph Schleissing, who took journalists round the projects located in one large compound, described the new training academy and dormitory as game-changers as the hotel moves to upscale the team members professionally.
“Always remember, human resource people are most important for the success of our company. We put utmost efforts to make it the best place to work for in Nigeria. I think it’s the only hotel in Nigeria with a dedicated training academy.
“This training academy is brand new, spread over 140 square meters, has two training rooms, and this is a real big step forward into the right future. It’s all about you, it’s not about me, it’s about us and how we are going to, grow and become better every single day.
“Our chairman made this happen for you and with his unconditional love for you as his team.
You see, we didn’t spare any cost, it’s not about money, it’s about the future, and it’s about your development.
“There’s an interactive screen in the academy. We have around 80 seats in our main area for the training, and we have one more board room for smaller meetings, for example, leadership trainings, Chinese classes and others. This is the best quality apartment in the entire country. We never spare money when it concerns our people.
“What do we expect from you? Drink the water and we expect you to learn, have that drive to become a better person every single day,” Schleissing said.
He said apart from three of its staff already certified by the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development, the hotel plans to engage specialised trainers for the academy.
“We have taken all three of them through this certification. You know, certifying agencies or certifying associations will always be used because it’s important that we have the right people doing the right thing at the right time.
“The training academy is not something we do for public relations. We spend the money, we train our people because we really believe it’s the only way forward. We need to train the youths of Nigeria. This is what we’re going to do.
“Our long-term plan, we want to give back to the community in which we are operating.”
He further added, “We took over this entire compound for many reasons. One reason, it’s always our drive that our team members can evolve in a very safe and secure environment. Some of our team members are living in the building. We have the academy in one of the floors. What is actually a game changer is the dormitory, because going from 28 beds to over 100 beds is a game changer. It makes us operational-wise more flexible when it comes to delivering excellent service to our clients. On the other hand, this entire area, is a part of the hotel.
The Cluster Director, Human Resources, Continental Hotel Group, Niyi Agoro, described the academy take off as a landmark achievement to human capital development.
“This significant investment goes beyond physical infrastructure; it represents a transformative vision centered on continuous learning, workforce empowerment, talent sustainability, and the enhancement of the overall employee experience.
“The creation of these special facilities reinforces our strategic objective of nurturing a highly skilled, motivated, and future-ready workforce capable of delivering exceptional hospitality standards.
“I would like to sincerely recognise and appreciate the unwavering support, strategic foresight, and commitment of the Owning Company, whose investment and belief in people development made this vision attainable. I also extend my profound gratitude to the hotel management team under the leadership of the General Manager, Christoph Schleissing for their support and collaborative efforts in transforming this dream into a remarkable reality.
“This milestone stands as a testament to what can be accomplished through visionary leadership, purposeful investment in people, and a shared commitment to organizational growth and excellence. Together, we continue to cultivate a culture of innovation, professionalism, and people-centric leadership that will positively shape the future of hospitality in Nigeria and beyond.”
Assistant Training Manager, Williams Umeh, said, “In Lagos Continental Hotel, we all work as a group. We’re not working as individuals, which means that we are not just going to be working as a unit separate from the hotel. We already have the knowledge.
“We have people with qualifications and the main thing is, when it comes to specialised trainings, we don’t just give trainings because we feel someone needs a training. We go to the teams.
“We have conversations. What are the pain points? What are the areas of improvements that are needed for targets? So once we know those things, we are able to make our research, liaise with the team leaders and stakeholders within the units to be able to create tailored trainings that tackle the problems that are experienced within the various units. With that, we are able to give good trainings.”
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