La Altagracia.- The National Institute for Technical and Vocational Training (INFOTEP) awarded Technician titles with full certification to 97 workers from the Meliá Hotels chain, in the areas of Gastronomy, Hotel Floor Management, Bar and Restaurant, who completed the requirements of the Occupational Evaluation process, thus recognizing their experience and work competence.
Mynor Espinoza, Operations Director of Meliá Hotels, stated that the growth of tourism in the country obliges to raise the preparation of the staff, and highlighted the fundamental role played by the National Institute of Professional Technical Training (INFOTEP) in that process.
“Tourism is increasingly relevant in the country’s growth. That means we have to prepare to support this smokeless industry, which is the tourism and personalization industry, because what people are looking for is for us to take care of them. That interpersonal relationship between the guest and us as collaborators is not by chance; INFOTEP is preparing us to achieve it,” said Espinoza.
While Raysa Pichardo, director of Business Competitiveness at INFOTEP, stated that from 2020 to this year 2025, INFOTEP has trained a total of 4,130 employees in the Meliá Hotels chain alone, with a total of 260 training actions.
“En el primer semestre de este año, la República Dominicana recibió más de 6 millones de turistas, cifra que representa un incremento de 48 % en comparación con el mismo período del 2019, un 15 % respecto al 2023 y un 3 % en relación con el 2024, datos que confirman el impacto del INFOTEP en la región Este, y muy especialmente en Punta Cana”,
destacó Pichardo.
He also said that training must be continuous, highlighting that the institution’s commitment is to continue offering programs that strengthen their skills and allow them to grow both personally and professionally.
The Talent and Human Resources directors of the Meliá hotel, Claudine Massey and Lissa Bueno, agreed in valuing the graduation as a step that goes beyond the academic, dignifying the work of the collaborators and opening doors to new opportunities.
INFOTEP graduates: stories of overcoming that strengthen tourism in the Eastern region
In representation of the graduates, the bar captain of the Hotel Meliá Punta Cana Beach, Ubaldo Natera Castro, shared his personal testimony, marked by overcoming fears and barriers.
“It was difficult for me to express myself. I was intimidated to speak in public and sometimes doubted myself. Today I am here in front of all of you with the satisfaction of saying that those fears are far behind. Thanks to this journey I have been able to break those limits. This path has taught me that when you work with passion, discipline, and the right support, there are no impossible barriers to overcome,” he said with pride.
The graduates were 42 Gastronomy technicians, 31 in Bar and Restaurant and 24 in Hotel Floor Management, who received their certificates in an event where it was highlighted that human capital is the central axis of quality in tourist service.
Training statistics
Through the Bávaro Punta Cana Satellite Office, INFOTEP has trained 134,197 people in 8,798 training actions from 2020 to March 2025. Also, 893 companies (438 SMEs served) have received specific training, advice, technical assistance, and dual training.
In addition, it has trained through professional training services: 14 thousand 965 people in community programs in 613 actions.
The institution reported that in this year 2025 it plans to train a total of 31,803 people with 1,771 training actions, seeking to link vulnerable sectors.
Occupational Validation
The Law 116-80, which gave rise to INFOTEP, grants this organization the responsibility of organizing, directing, and supervising technical-professional training in the country. Within these attributions is included occupational validation, a process by which the competencies acquired by workers in the exercise of their functions are officially recognized.
The graduation ceremony was attended by Raysa Pichardo, Director of Business Competitiveness, representing the general director of INFOTEP, Rafael Santos Badía; the Director of Operations of Meliá Hotels in the Dominican Republic, Mynor Espinoza; the Directors of Talent and Human Resources of the Meliá hotel, Claudine Massey and Lissa Bueno, respectively, Orlando Almonte, INFOTEP advisor and Ercira del Villar, head of the INFOTEP satellite office in Punta Cana.
