~ An Alila Outreach Programme ~ Education opens doors for all individuals and communities. In line with Alila’s vision of integrating commerce, conservation and community, Alila Villas Soori is committed to supporting the local community development through education. As part of the efforts, the resort partners with Manajemen Pariwisata Indonesia (Mapindo), a hospitality training and education centre whose vision is to develop highly competent professionals in the hospitality industry.

Mapindo’s hospitality programs provide opportunities for those with a keen interest in pursuing a career in the hotel industry. Scholarships are distributed to leading tourism institutes, who partner with resorts and hotels all over Bali to drive the recruitment process and provide hands-on training for the scholars.

Kelating Village, where Alila Villas Soori is located, is an area blessed with fertile land and where farming has long been the traditional occupation. With the boom in Bali’s tourism industry concentrated for many years in the island’s south, many young people of the village have moved there in the hope of getting a better job. However, due to their lack of relevant education, most have found themselves limited to jobs such as construction workers and hotel gardeners. Only those from wealthier families have had the resources to afford an education in hospitality in Denpasar.

With the subsequent spread of tourism all over the island, including West Bali where Alila Villas Soori is a pioneer luxury boutique resort in this region, there is now greater opportunity for local people to develop a career in the industry closer to home.

In partnership with Mapindo, Alila Villas Soori selected 15 distinctive high school graduates from Kelating Village to join a five-month training program. The first 20 days of schooling took place in Mapindo where the trainees gained a basic introduction to hotel operations. From 2 August - 30 November 2010, the trainees will join the resort team members on hospitality field training. The training will take them through the functions and roles of the hotel’s key areas including Front Office, Food & Beverage, Housekeeping and Finance.

Through this partnership, the resort hopes that those who left for Denpasar will come back home to Kelating and develop their career there. Alila Villas Soori is gratified that they are able to soon offer these young Balinese the opportunity for a career in hospitality, closer to home.

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