Eight million dollars has been allotted for a Bahamian based training program at the Baha Mar resort.

This revelation came in the recently unsealed heads of agreement (HOA) document signed between the Bahamian government and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises.

The HOA stated that “more particularly the Project Company will continue the Baha Mar Training and Service Academy” to support the development of an integrated training program focused on preparing individuals for future careers and growth in the hospitality trades through development and certification of skills that can be deployed in the construction and long term operating phases of the Project “Bahamian Employee Training Program”.

“Additionally, the Project Company will use its commercially reasonable endeavors to cause training attachment of employees overseas at the properties of the various operators of hotels and other amenities.

“It is acknowledged that BML has expended in connection with the Bahamian Employee Training Program at least U.S. $8 million and the Project Company will continue the Bahamian Employee Training Program as may be appropriate for the continued successful operation of the resort,” according to the HOA.

In January, Baha Mar Senior Vice President of Government and External Affairs Robert “Sandy” Sands said the resort would be doing a different type of training this time around.

Former head of the Baha Mar funded Leadership Development Institute Jeff Lloyd said he feared the new owners of the resort may not share the same vison or level of commitment” in terms of the resort’s training module as original developer Sarkis Izmirilian.

The document also revealed that as a part of the HOA a minimum of 5,500 Bahamians must be employed at the resort once it is completed.

The HOA also commits the government to solving the long-standing issues plaguing the New Providence Landfill and addressing the issue of unreliable electricity supply in the capital by the end of this year.

The timing of the release of the HOA coincides with the end of the government’s self-imposed deadline to push for the release of the sealed Supreme Court documents relating to the sale of the resort to Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE).

However, those documents remain under the court ordered seal and as a result, the sales price and other conditions involved in the process are still unknown.

On the issue of marketing, the HOA states that the government has already invested $16m for co-operative marketing of the resort. Despite this, the government and Baha Mar’s new buyer have both committed to contribute $10 million for a marketing campaign to reintroduce Baha Mar to the marketplace, with $5 million of this sum due by September of this year.