More spanish speaking passengers have been travelling through Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) Inc.
As a result, staff members have the opportunity to enrol in foreign language classes as part of a pilot project with the National Transformation Initiative (NTI) and tutoring company Rosetta Stone Inc.
Details of the partnership were shared yesterday during a press conference at the airport.
“We’ve seen an increase in Spanish-speaking passengers. We have German passengers in the winter season and we do see a lot of French passengers, especially on Air Canada flights. And we want to [increase] training in areas that will help to facilitate passengers throughout the airport and one of them is languages. So we will start a pilot project with Rosetta Stone,” director of operations at GAIA, Piétrick Voyer, said.
During the pilot project, 30 employees, including ground handlers, customs, immigration, the airlines and other departments, will have the opportunity to participate.
“The participants will choose Spanish, German or French. The project is over six months and we expect a minimum of ten hours of study per month. It’s a mixture of learning yourself using a tablet or laptop, but you will also have a tutoring session with someone once per week,” he added.
Pilot project
GAIA chief executive Officer Hadley Bourne said the pilot project was a continuation of their ongoing relationship with NTI, which began in April 2024. Since then many employees have been trained in areas such as culture and transformation, disability etiquette, personal branding and deportment, communications and teamwork, ethics and integrity.
“Over 2 700 people have experienced this training. It has been well received. We’ve seen a significant depletion in those complaints.
“As we head into Phase 2, there are better and brighter things ahead. We will have a full training needs assessment. We are going to be looking into a full overhaul of our training and how we deliver it,” Bourne added.
Director of the NTI, Dr Allyson Leacock, said over the year that 60.98 per cent of the entire airport population participated in 53 training sessions.
She noted that 67.3 per cent of participants gave feedback and they received an overall rating of 97 per cent. In addition, 94 per cent deemed it relevant and 99 per cent were satisfied with the tutors.
She said the Rosetta Stone partnership would be useful.
Partnership
“It is a continuation of our partnership in upskilling the entire airport community. One of the elements that emerged in our discussions with Rosetta Stone was that it would be a perfect fit for the airport, especially in light of the Prime Minister’s statements about wanting almost every child in the country to know a second language.
“This is an opportunity to build on what we already established with the airport community with our art and heart of service. Once we can communicate with everybody coming through our doors in Barbados, we demonstrate to them that we really are inclusive,” she said.
Head of Latin America and the Caribbean at Rosetta Stone, Yesid Polania, who spoke virtually, underscored the importance of learning more than one language.
“Language has been the bridge that connects people, cultures and opportunities. And today is a special day. This isn’t just about language training. It is about preparing the country’s workforce to meet the demands of a global economy starting here at GAIA.
“Airport staff will not only improve their communication skills, but also build the confidence to connect with travellers from every corner of the globe and deliver an experience grounded in excellence and hospitality,” Yesid said.
(TG)
