Holiday Inn’s Holiday Resort in Port Vila has successfully graduated 31 young participants from a three-month internship program designed to teach workplace discipline, job experience, and basic employment skills.
The internship, which ran from September to December last year, was created to give young people hands-on experience in the hospitality sector. Management reported strong results, with most interns gaining a solid understanding of workplace rules and responsibilities.
Randolph Christopher Jackson, Learning and Development Advisor, said the program, which started as an idea in 2025, has become a successful platform for employment.
“We started this program as the GM’s idea last September. We expected to take 10 or 15 interns, but we ended up with 32. After three months, many have successfully transitioned to full-time employment. Government statistics show 61–71% of intake are now employed,” he said.
Mr. Jackson added that the hotel plans to expand the program further. With the opening of a new seaside wing of 64 rooms in 2026, Holiday Inn will need more staff and will continue to consider previous interns for new roles.
“During every school holiday, interns join us for two weeks. This year, we will run four semesters. After assessing their experience, knowledge, creativity, commitment, and discipline, we will offer full-time roles as new opportunities arise,” he explained.
Two participants, Serah Hungai Pat, a graduate now employed full-time, and Elma Lau, who has just started her training, said the internship helped build their confidence and interest in the food and beverage sector.
“A good thing is we have confidence in what we are doing. I am so fortunate to be back as a permanent staff,” said Serah.
“This is the first opportunity I’ve had since leaving high school. I never did a holiday job before, and now I have attended this kind of internship,” added Elma.
The program is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Giving for Good global initiative, aimed at supporting youth through skills development and employment readiness. The resort says these graduates are potential future leaders in Vanuatu’s tourism sector, and the program will continue to open doors for the next generation.
