Lead by learning
Eddy has never been happier, today was his last day at the hotel. After working as a bellboy for ten years, he got himself a job in the accounting department of another hotel. Five years ago his hotel employer was not willing to give Eddy a chance to grow and educate himself. Although Eddy’s request for support surprised the big boss at first, he saw neither the potential nor the need for development of his own personnel nor the benefits such development would bring about. That’s when Eddy decided he would pay for his own education one way or another. He went to DOC Opleidingen (Training Institute for Adults), explained his situation and signed up for the basic management course. Because his salary was far from sufficient, he could, in fact, not really afford his desire to study and educate himself. With the tips he collected from the customers at the hotel, however, he managed to pay for his courses, one by one and little by little. DOC Opleidingen recognized his eagerness and passion to learn, and they were able to help Eddy to complete all seven management courses from basic to middle to executive level. In the meanwhile he managed to get promoted to Front Desk Agent, and now, at the end of five years of hard work, perseverance and endurance he could take up a position in the accounting department of another hotel. Of course this success story is just one of the many examples Training Institute DOC Opleidingen has been part of during its twenty years of existence. According to the Managing Director Frits Israël, who took over the business in January 2016, it perfectly illustrates the institute’s Lead by learning mission: “To help Aruba succeed and make progress is to enable people to educate themselves and develop; Education is the ultimate key to empowerment and growth and therefore one of the pillars of a flourishing economy”.
Private Adult Education
DOC Opleidingen is one of the island’s most popular suppliers of Private Adult Education. With a portfolio of over forty different courses in total, DOC supplies new and up-to-date knowledge to about 800 to 1,100 adults a year. Although some of the courses are hybrid, meaning a combination of e-learning and the more traditional classroom approach, most of the courses follow the classroom teaching method.
Every night, except for the weekends and national holidays, eight to fifteen very motivated students enter one of the six classrooms of the training institution to get educated by one of the twelve to twenty freelance teachers of the institute. Whether the topic is business administration, law and legislation, insurance, management, improving your language and/or writing skills, coaching, corporate governance, marketing, economics or a customized in-company training Doc Opleidingen’s team not only offers knowledge according to the latest technologies, developments and theories but their courses are also in line with the needs and demands of the market. This is one of the secrets of the institution’s success. Due to its broad and international network in the corporate world, its widespread earned reputation, its links with Dutch training institutes and their educational accreditation bodies DOC has acquired credibility and reliability throughout Aruba and its different corporate and public sectors. Compared to public educational institutions DOC Opleidingen has another advantage. Its courses are not bound to accreditation and this makes their portfolio more pragmatic because participants are able to put what they have learned into practice immediately according to the managing director. A downside of a private educational set-up like DOC, however, might be the price of the courses. Signing up for a course at the training institute is not cheap. Depending on the course, its popularity, exclusivity, duration and/or intensity prices vary between AWG 325 (Creative Writing for Teens) and AWG 3,600 (the five mornings Chief Happiness Officer Workshop), with an average of AWG 1,500. Be that as it may, high standards of education and service come at a price and the team of DOC Opleidingen stands behind the quality they deliver. Moreover, DOC has been known, for example, to help out participants who show great promise by going the extra mile and act as reference or intermediary for a promotion or a new job.
Homework and Consultancy
Since supplying private adult education is the training institute’s main course, one might not immediately notice two other very important dishes DOC Opleidingen has to offer, namely its homework institute and consultancy branch. Both services are operating under the same mission statement. The specialized teachers of the homework institute help youngsters to prepare better for their exams, clear possible backlogs and improve their self-esteem and motivation. In other words: DOC helps them to become more successful and by doing so the teachers are enhancing the youngsters’ future perspective. The consultancy branch of DOC offers companies assistance in improving their marketing, management and communication strategies. The institute’s consultants can help you with the start-up,the implementation and/or help you solve any hiccup in the process.
Future Plans
Besides the ongoing process of updating and improving the existing courses, expansion into new areas of hospitality is the future focus of the private training institute. Since tourism is a major if not the most important player in Aruba’s economy, the DOC is working to extend its courses concerning the hospitality business. “Tourists, consumers in general have become more critical and more demanding, that means the services you offer them need to be top-notch if you want them to return and compete with other popular destinations in the region.” With his background in hospitality and marketing Frits Israël knows what he is talking about. According to the director there is also much ground to gain on the matter of cooperation. “Improving our collaboration beyond the borders would strengthen our portfolios and enhance the quality of the education even more”, he adds.
Introducing Frits Israël
Born on Aruba but partly raised in Holland, Frits Israël never quite felt at ease, The Netherlands just weren’t his cup of tea. With plans to go back to Aruba, he studied hospitality management and marketing at the Hotel Management School in The Hague. For his internship he went to Aruba and worked at a large hotel. After his graduation he moved to his beloved island and has been working and living in Aruba ever since.