Building a “strong foundation”
Training programs for Bermuda’s planned casino industry are in the development stage, according to Richard Schuetz, executive director of the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission. The commission expects the island territory’s first casino to open sometime early in 2018.
U.S. human resource expert Ann Anderson, who is acting as a consultant to the fledgling industry, told the Royal Gazette newspaper, “There are a number of jobs and skills from traditional sectors that are transferable to gaming. For instance, if someone worked in the bank as a teller or as an analyst—those skills can be transferred to being an analyst or cashier in the casino environment.
“People with good computer networking and operations skills could easily pick up gaming device computer skills; and those who worked in retail or on the front desk of a hotel could easily transition into a players’ club representative or host.”
Malika Cartwright, executive director of the Bermuda Hospitality Institute, told the Gazette, “We have the skills sets on island, but will need to utilize outside resources and expertise to actually see this through to fruition. Unlike other industries, we have never had a casino in Bermuda before so we need to look at how we can get the best quality training to residents to ensure this is a success. We need to make sure the foundation is strong from day one when the doors first open. We don’t want to be in a situation where we have to fix and Band-Aid situations.”
