Creating opportunities, building bridges of success
Cecil Cornwall selflessly continues to raise the bar of Jamaican tourism product
Published, September 15, 2010
Hospitality Jamaica
Cecil Cornwall’s life revolves around a passion, to get the youngsters who have been marginalised by society and make them well rounded professionals in Jamaica’s tourism industry.
He has been living, breathing and exuding this passion for more that two decades now, when he started off Western School of Cake Decorating, Pastry Making (WSCDPM) and International & Creative Cooking (ICC) in September 1988. Cornwall single handedly taught the foundation courses of cooking, baking and cake decorating, based on the skills he earned at STETHS and on the job.
“The idea came as result of relocating to Montego Bay where I found need for a institution, and in skills in the areas of cookings and cake decoration,” Cornwall said. “It was an opportunity and indelible impact to community.”
The institution, which started off in Montego Bay High School offered short training courses and was welcomed by the community. “I am indebted to Mrs Barbara Smith former principal of MoBay High, who gave me encouragement, regardless of the obstacles that we faced,” he said.
OPENING DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY
As he was addressing a need, Cornwall opened doors of his institution to all those who did not have the required qualifications to get them tertiary education. It is his belief that to build an effective, trained and qualified workforce, needs proper vision and mentoring.
“I am targeting 60 per cent of the students who have been have been marginilised,” Cornwall said, with passion and conviction resonating in his voice.
And the greatest testimonial and satisfaction, he said, came from Dr Carolyn Hayle, who said, “Western Hospitality Institute (WHI) needs to be commended for the fact that it has taken so many gunmen off the streets”.
Cornwall, though modest about his achievements, said that he continues to work towards providing quality hospitality education, and takes pride in the fact that WHI is the only private institution in Jamaica offering such training.
But this road to success has not been a bed of roses, as he struggles to keep the institution afloat. “The major challenge is finance,” Cornwall informed. “Last year we had to write off 6 millions $ as bad debt, as students could not pay tuition.”
“Though the government recognizes and appreciates our endeavours, we are not getting enough encouragement and help from them,” he said. “We are giving service of educating the country, but have struggled financially for the last 20 years, that is a disheartening and cause of concern.”
“We are striving to give quality education,” he said, “all we are looking is for a place to house the institution.”
But the roadblocks have given Cornwall, who was awarded the Power 106 Radio Pioneer Business Leader of the Week in November 2008, conviction and fire build WHI from strength to strength; the institution has now expanded to Mandeville and Ocho Rios, which will be starting off later in the month.
Coming from humble beginnings, Cornwall credits his family, who ensured he had good education and food to eat, and his teachers and peers, “they opened their hearts and doors for me, to which I am deeply indebted for.”
He envisages a Jamaica that dwells on sustainable tourism product. “We are concerned about filling hotel rooms, when we have to understand that 80 per cent of tourism money doesn't come into the country, all the tours are booked and purchased abroad.”
“We are not looking at sustainablilty but just on the wine dine and take the money from the tourists,” he said. “We have to become entrepreneurial, and build industries around tourism which will improve our GDP.”
He strongly believes that the country should look at long term goals and objectives to build the tourism product and move forward, “we should identify what the tourists like, what is that they buy...if they like jerk pork so package jerk pork to export and sell.”
And all these efforts require collaboration, which he said, is the key to development.
Cornwall considers himself to be very spiritually gifted and believes that every human being has the power to achieve greatness. “If we all genuinely become somebody else’s keeper the world would be a much better place for all to prosper,” he said.
Published, September 15, 2010
Hospitality Jamaica
Cecil Cornwall’s life revolves around a passion, to get the youngsters who have been marginalised by society and make them well rounded professionals in Jamaica’s tourism industry. He has been living, breathing and exuding this passion for more that two decades now, when he started off Western School of Cake Decorating, Pastry Making (WSCDPM) and International & Creative Cooking (ICC) in September 1988. Cornwall single handedly taught the foundation courses of cooking, baking and cake decorating, based on the skills he earned at STETHS and on the job.
“The idea came as result of relocating to Montego Bay where I found need for a institution, and in skills in the areas of cookings and cake decoration,” Cornwall said. “It was an opportunity and indelible impact to community.”
The institution, which started off in Montego Bay High School offered short training courses and was welcomed by the community. “I am indebted to Mrs Barbara Smith former principal of MoBay High, who gave me encouragement, regardless of the obstacles that we faced,” he said.
OPENING DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY
As he was addressing a need, Cornwall opened doors of his institution to all those who did not have the required qualifications to get them tertiary education. It is his belief that to build an effective, trained and qualified workforce, needs proper vision and mentoring.
“I am targeting 60 per cent of the students who have been have been marginilised,” Cornwall said, with passion and conviction resonating in his voice.
And the greatest testimonial and satisfaction, he said, came from Dr Carolyn Hayle, who said, “Western Hospitality Institute (WHI) needs to be commended for the fact that it has taken so many gunmen off the streets”.
Cornwall, though modest about his achievements, said that he continues to work towards providing quality hospitality education, and takes pride in the fact that WHI is the only private institution in Jamaica offering such training.
But this road to success has not been a bed of roses, as he struggles to keep the institution afloat. “The major challenge is finance,” Cornwall informed. “Last year we had to write off 6 millions $ as bad debt, as students could not pay tuition.”
“Though the government recognizes and appreciates our endeavours, we are not getting enough encouragement and help from them,” he said. “We are giving service of educating the country, but have struggled financially for the last 20 years, that is a disheartening and cause of concern.”
“We are striving to give quality education,” he said, “all we are looking is for a place to house the institution.”
But the roadblocks have given Cornwall, who was awarded the Power 106 Radio Pioneer Business Leader of the Week in November 2008, conviction and fire build WHI from strength to strength; the institution has now expanded to Mandeville and Ocho Rios, which will be starting off later in the month.
Coming from humble beginnings, Cornwall credits his family, who ensured he had good education and food to eat, and his teachers and peers, “they opened their hearts and doors for me, to which I am deeply indebted for.”
He envisages a Jamaica that dwells on sustainable tourism product. “We are concerned about filling hotel rooms, when we have to understand that 80 per cent of tourism money doesn't come into the country, all the tours are booked and purchased abroad.”
“We are not looking at sustainablilty but just on the wine dine and take the money from the tourists,” he said. “We have to become entrepreneurial, and build industries around tourism which will improve our GDP.”
He strongly believes that the country should look at long term goals and objectives to build the tourism product and move forward, “we should identify what the tourists like, what is that they buy...if they like jerk pork so package jerk pork to export and sell.”
And all these efforts require collaboration, which he said, is the key to development.
Cornwall considers himself to be very spiritually gifted and believes that every human being has the power to achieve greatness. “If we all genuinely become somebody else’s keeper the world would be a much better place for all to prosper,” he said.
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