Orlando, Florida, March 2016—The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) has signed a partnership agreement with Polykarpou hrd, based in Cyprus. The company, which specialized in training, human resources management, and industrial relations, has established the Cyprus Hospitality Educational Institute (CHEI) as a dedicated brand focusing on hospitality industry training and certification using AHLEI’s internationally-recognized programs.
Polykarpou hrd and the Cyprus Hospitality Educational Institute were founded by Polys Polykarpou, a certified labor consultant with a career in industrial relations. He specializes in human resources management, organizational development, and training. With a background in the hospitality industry, Polykarpou earned AHLEI’s Human Resources Management Certificate of Specialization and began to use AHLEI principles as part of his training style. Then he decided to take an even bigger step.
“Aiming even higher, we claimed a partnership with AHLEI, the most recognized institution in the field of certification of hospitality professionals,” he stated. “For this purpose, we have established the CHEI (Cyprus Hospitality Educational Institute).” The CHEI is coordinated by Diana Assadourian Estephan, CHT, an AHLEI certified trainer and proctor. She and Polykarpou lead a team of more than 16 professionals who provide all kinds of professional training with an emphasis on hospitality certification.
“I am thrilled to see Mr. Polykarpou join forces with one of our most passionate certification ambassadors overseas, Ms. Assadourian, to form a unique organization that will have the dual aims of educating students and enhancing the skills and competencies of existing hospitality professionals,” said Ed Kastli, AHLEI’s vice president, international sales. “The Educational Institute is certainly proud of this new partnership and looks forward to see it benefit Cypriotes in the hospitality industry in years to come.”
Polykarpou explained that tourism is a major source of income in Cyprus, despite the country’s political and economic challenges. He noted that starting in the late 1970s and after a booming in early 1980s, a lot of people joined the industry having no idea about it.
“Today, a big number of professionals are educated but an even bigger number are working only with basic knowledge. New generation managers are investing in staff training and developing with more confidence than before, but training organizations are not investing in training programs for professionals, or developing their techniques and methods,” he explained. “A clearly professional training organization specializing in hospitality, recognizing the experience and providing certification on the topics, is what our industry needs. Through our partnership with AHLEI, we believe we have the best of global certification providers to work with. It is in our hands to take this opportunity, and transform it to an opportunity of success.”
