A Closer, More Comprehensive Look at CHTA’s CARIBCERT

Since 2001 when the idea came into being and was eventually whipped into shape, CARIBCERT –a unique and world-class program developed and owned by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)- has been actively implementing service standards and certifying employees to achieve these standards. Properly managed, this process can result in improved service levels and, in turn, better returns for a tourism business.

CARIBCERT is a set of validated occupational standards and assessment (certification) tools for 47 different tourism occupations broken down in four main categories –food and beverage service, front operations, housekeeping and food preparation. Over 2000, Caribbean tourism industry professionals contributed expertise to the standards and certification development.

The CARIBCERT content is housed in a web-based database. The content can be accessed online or it can be provided as paper copy. The web-based system manages the administration and updating of candidates and content and functionality.

The main product of CARIBCERT is a professional Certification Program that is comprised of three elements –a performance checklist and study guides, a written exam and additional criteria, including work experience.

A candidate must complete the performance checklist before writing the exam. Additional criteria can be met at any time in the Certification process. In order to be awarded a CARIBCERT certification, a candidate must successfully complete all three components.

The vast majority of workers in the Caribbean tourism industry will never attend tertiary-level education programs for a variety of socio-economic reasons. Achieving recognition through professional certification can be a life-changing experience for the individual employees involved in the CARIBCERT program.

Experiencing success in the pursuit of recognized achievements can foster self-confidence, independence and the desire to do more –to achieve even greater accomplishments. For these individuals, the CARIBCERT program is more than a standards and certification program; it is the doorway to a new beginning, a new challenge that when successfully completed will allow them to be better providers for their families and better citizens in their community.

CARIBCERT was developed and industry validated in the Caribbean during 2001-2003. The CHTA coordinated a regional pilot of the CARIBCERT program in 2004 with approximately 2,000 participants in it. Thrive Group International (TGI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the CHTA in 2006 and became the regional co-ordination agency for CARIBCERT, based on their history and experience in professional certification and CARIBCERT. TGI’s role is to work with national hotel associations across the Caribbean to develop local implementation MOU’s.

The initial group of countries implementing the program in 2006 included the Bahamas,
Jamaica, St. Maarten, Curacao and the Dominican Republic. Since 2006, four more countries –Cayman Islands, Antigua, St. Lucia and Grenada- have signed MOU’s. Potential MOU’s are under consideration by the hotel and tourism associations in Aruba, St. Kitts & Nevis and Belize.

Each country implements the CARIBCERT program in their own way. For example, in Cayman, CARIBCERT is a partnership between the Cayman Island Tourism Association and the government Ministry of Tourism through a Tourism Apprenticeship Program. In Bahamas, CARIBCERT is part of a larger human resource development program run by the hotel association.

In 2009, the CHTA and TGI signed a revised MOU agreement. The CARIBCERT program is overseen by a management committee made up of national representatives of the program and CHTA.

CARIBCERT core supervisory management standards are the basis of a core curriculum for a 1 year Associate Degree program that makes up the Caribbean Tourism Learning System ( A program of the CTO). This curriculum is offered in various forms in 13 tertiary level institutions across the Caribbean.

CARIBCERT was the first and only certification program to be judged equivalent to the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council Emerit Certification

John Stafford, with Thrive Group International Inc., contributed most of the information contained in this article. For further information, please contact Mr. John Stafford, 1-(866)-376-5928 (toll free), (563) 823-5565 (phone); (563) 519-2298 (Fax); (563) 503-9220 (mobile phone); jstafford@thrivegi.com (email); http://www.thrivegi.com/ (website).