Khai-Jeh Worrell got his first taste of the hospitality industry serving ice creams.

The 29-year-old’s first job in the field was working at Scoops, before he was hired by the Fairmont Hotel group right out of high school.

Now Mr Worrell has graduated the Leadership Development Programme at the Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club and is on the path to becoming one of the resort’s key managers.

"I’m glad I took the course,“ he added. “It actually gave me more confidence.

“I was thrown into the water in many different scenarios, whether it was with new staff or a new environment that maybe I wasn’t familiar with.

“It always put me in a new spot with new faces, new challenges and new opportunities for growth.”

The programme was intended to teach students leadership skills and a deep understanding of the inner workings of their job.

Candidates were chosen by a panel of interviewers before being assigned either to the room service division or the food and beverage division.

They then went through rotations to familiarise themselves with all aspects of the department as well as its hierarchy and the responsibilities that come with the positions.

Mr Worrell, from Sandys, said he always liked customer service and believed he had the “gift of the gab” that always left a good impression.

He said: “I actually had my previous manager recognise me from Scoops.

“She saw my personality and how I was dealing with guests and she actually recruited me to work at Fairmont Southampton.”

Mr Worrell joined the Leadership Development Programme in 2023 alongside co-worker, Marcus Iris-Simmons.

He went into the rooms division, which dealt with housekeeping, so he could learn more about the demands of the hotel industry.

Through the leadership programme, Mr Worrell worked in several areas, including the front desk, laundry rooms, room service and housekeeping.

He studied under different leaders in various aspects of the field, before taking a shot at those leadership roles himself.

Mr Worrell said: “It always put me in a new spot with new faces, new challenges and new opportunities for growth.”

Mr Worrell said the overall experience had given him a more “level understanding” of the rooms division at the Hamilton Princess.

He added that he had developed good communication and organisation skills while also sharpening his adaptability.

Mr Worrell said that the division helped the hotel feel more like a home to visitors.

He explained: “I think a hotel’s considered a home away from home and, basically, the rooms division is more of the heart of the hotel.

“Laundry, housekeeping, front desk — all these multiple departments that create that rooms division is what brings in the guests.

“At the end of the day, everybody wants a nice, comfortable bed to sleep on.”

Mr Worrell said that one of his new skills was dealing with more uncomfortable situations, such as disciplining staff or dealing with guests that had problems with service.

He said that he got through difficult situations because of his “calm” demeanour and positive attitude.

Mr Worrell said: “My staff will definitely tell you that I can laugh and I can joke, but the work still has to be done.

“I’m also more of a positive thinker if there’s a boundary that needs to be overcome.

“I’m not having a sad face and wondering how we’re going to do this. I’m more trying to solve the problem.

“I think my calm demeanour gave me more confidence to understand that some things can be thought over and planned.”

Mr Worrel credited his management team for guiding him through his learning process, and his coworkers for giving him a sense of community.

He said: “Building a strong network of people who you work with just helps things get done faster.

“Of course it’s hospitality, so we’re all serving, but when I know exactly who to call for exactly what, then it makes the job a bit more efficient.”

Mr Worrell said that now he had completed his studies, he wanted to find more ways to become a strong and productive manager.

He added: “I do think that if you have a strategic plan and you have the right team, then you can solve any problem.”