Vivanta by Taj, North Goa Hotels

Vivanta by Taj, North Goa Hotels – Coaching Underprivileged Youth
An alliance with the government run ITI (Indian Training Institute) at Oros, District
Sindhudurg in Maharashtra has seen the dreams of many underprivileged youngsters come
alive. Hospitality students, who only dreamed about working at a Taj hotel, got the
opportunity to train in departments such as House Keeping, Food Production and Food &
Beverage Services. ITI Oros faculty members are trained and prepared to provide the
vocational skill training in hospitality courses supported by the Taj.
Pranali in the Housekeeping Department
The students on the other hand are groomed, provided on the job training as well as
assistance to find employment post completion of the course. Based on vacancies and
capability levels, some of them are also absorbed into Taj hotels. The year 2011 saw three
students being employed at the North Goa Hotels. They include Ms.Pranali Lakde, who
works as a House Keeping Desk Coordinator and Mr. Nitesh Sawant who works in F&B
Production at Vivanta by Taj, Holiday Village, and Ms. Sayeli Rane (Image 2) who works in
F&B Production at Vivanta by Taj, Fort Aguada.
Sayeli has learned to be independent
Each candidate comes from a poor background. However by working at the Taj, they
are not only able to assist their family financially, but are exposed to new experiences. For
example, Nitesh who comes from the interiors of Maharashtra, states” Never in my dreams
had I thought that I’ll get to meet celebrities like Amitabh Bachhan and Shahrukh Khan that I
was so thrilled and excited to meet them when they came to the hotel.”.
An Interactive Training Session with the Students at ITI Oros in Sindhudurg
In the year 2010-11, the Vivanta by Taj, North Goa hotels trained approximately 45
students. The start of 2012 will see 20 more students’ come on board under the guidance of
HR Managers, Michelle Dsouza and Nanjappa Byregowda. When asked how they feel about
this initiative, Michelle and Nanjappa both responded, “We at the Taj have a unique
opportunity to create skilled and employable workforce from various sections of the society.
It is absolutely a wonderful feeling to see the students who come from backgrounds where
otherwise would not have got an opportunity to get trained in the hospitality industry, see
them grow from strength to strength. We feel privileged to get an opportunity to impact
lives.”