Starwood Expands and Enhances Its Associate Development Program to
Further Elevate Employees’ Skills and Earning Potential
STAMFORD, Conn. -- (Business Wire)
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) has a rich history
of identifying talented entry-level associates and cultivating their
skills into increasingly challenging positions. At Starwood there are
many examples of associates who started working at the front desk or as
a room attendant who advanced to positions of Supervisor, Manager or
even Regional Director.
It’s in this spirit of possibility that Starwood is pleased to announce
today its participation in UpSkill America, a public-private initiative
led by the US Department of Education to identify front-line employees
and give them the training needed to advance their careers. Today,
Starwood joined labor leaders, non-profits, educators, technology
innovators and other employers for the White House Upskill Summit in
Washington, D.C., to share best practices.
As part of its commitment to UpSkill America, Starwood will expand and
enhance its existing Associate Development Program (ADP) that has
already graduated more than 800 associates within the last five years
from owned and managed North American properties.
“At Starwood, we are dedicated to the professional development of our
associates in North America and in all of our 1,200 properties around
the world,” said Kelly Frank, Senior Vice President Corporate Human
Resource Services and Americas Human Resources at Starwood. “The
Associate Development Program gives our people hands-on, real-world
learning experiences that they can apply immediately. It also structures
the learning in an accessible way for hotels to prepare the next
generation of managers and leaders. The UpSkill America initiative
invites us to learn from other industry-leading companies and challenges
us to make an already successful program even better.”
Starwood’s program, initially launched in 2003 as a pilot in Arizona and
New York and later expanded throughout Canada and the United States,
selects high-potential associates to undergo approximately six months of
training that could include cross-functional learning, exposure to
senior leaders, mentoring or coaching and presentations and projects
related to the skills they learn in the program.
Taylor Spotleson, who started at Starwood working in food and beverage
in Scottsdale at The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in 2007, followed
her passion to Human Resources at The Phoenician in 2010, and after
completing the Associate Development Program in 2011 she assisted with
the opening of The Westin Snowmass Resort in Colorado. She continued to
advance her career as the Human Resources Manager for the Aloft Tucson
University in 2012 and then accepted a role supporting regional Human
Resources in late 2013.
“ADP has opened many doors by providing me new experiences and creating
a network of wonderful mentors and business partners to help me navigate
my career and reach my potential,” Spotleson said. “The program has
given me on-property and regional opportunities as well as wide industry
experience by working at a Five Diamond resort, opening and
transitioning hotels, and providing regional support to our hotels.”
Starwood’s UpSkill America 2015 Goals
Through UpSkill America, Starwood commits to enhancing its Associate
Development Program through greater exposure and training for job growth
opportunities, graduating 100 ADP participants in 2015, and rolling out
the expanded program to its entire North America portfolio of more than
500 owned, managed and franchise properties. As part of the expanded
program, Starwood will track hotel participation, graduation rates, and
career progression of participants following graduation.
“ADP will not only prepare front-line associates for critical job
advancement opportunities, but it also will contribute to increased
retention among high-potential associates and foster collaboration among
departments within a property,” said Erica Reidy, Director of Learning
and Development for the Americas at Starwood. “We’re excited by the
opportunity to participate in UpSkill America and I’m looking forward to
sharing our best practices and learning from other company leaders.”
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and
leisure companies in the world with more than 1,200 properties in some
100 countries and over 180,000 employees at its owned and managed
properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and
franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following
internationally renowned brands: St.
Regis®, The
Luxury Collection®, W®,
Westin®,
Le
Méridien®, Sheraton®,
Four
Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®,
element®
and the recently introduced Tribute
Portfolio™. The Company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty
programs, Starwood
Preferred Guest (SPG®), allowing members to earn and
redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no
blackout dates. Starwood recently announced plans to spin off its
Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc. business, a premier provider of
world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and
privileged access to Starwood brands, into a standalone public company
by the end of 2015. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
Contacts:
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Michelle Starr, 203-964-6211
Global
Communications
Michelle.Starr@StarwoodHotels.com
Source: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
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