Page 6 THE REVERE ADVOCATE - Friday, August 30, 2019 Nine Metro North residents graduate from hospitality training program By Tara Vocino Nine refugees and immigrants graduated from a hospitality training program – hosted by the City of Revere, CONNECT and the International Institute of New England – last Wednesday at the Revere Society for Cultural & Historic Preservation. The job placement program specializes in placing graduates at Boston area hotels. CONNECT Director Stefanie Shull thanked Mayor Brian Arrigo for making this opportunity available and described how the hospitality industry is booming. Financial Coach Anne Auerbach offers some encouraging words. (Advocate Photos by Tara Vocino) Salem resident April Long Kigonya, formerly of Malden, receives a certifi cate for intensive job training. She hopes to work at the Holiday Inn in Boston doing housekeeping or in customer service. Chelsea resident Soumia Halhali would like to work as a cashier or in an offi ce while Rosa Logiudice hopes to do data entry and office work at City Hall. Logiudice graduated from Revere High School in 1981; Halhali graduated in 2018 from University Hassan II Casablanca in Morocco with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. “This is part of the mayor’s larger goal of preparing Revere residents to benefi t from the signifi - cant economic development occurring and expected to occur in the city over the next 20 years,” Shull said. “In addition to the Encore Boston Harbor Resort, which opened in late June, the number of hotel rooms in Revere is expected to double by 2020, from 800 to 1,600. The International Institute of New England and CONNECT are working together to make sure area residents have the best shot possible at securing the 40 to 80 new jobs expected at each hotel.” Shull said CONNECT plans to do more training and provided information on where to go to learn more. Recruitment for the next class in the fall starts immediately, and Revere residents have priority. Anyone interested can contact CONNECT at 857-334-3406 or visit CONNECT at 4 Gerrish Ave. in Chelsea, which is also on the 111c and 116 bus lines. No appointment is necessary. Walk-ins are accepted, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesdays until 7 p.m., according to Shull. CONNECT coaches are also available Tuesdays from 2 to 5 p.m. at their Revere offi ce at 17 Walden St. Tara Vocino may be reached at printjournalist1@gmail.com. Skills Training Specialist Alex Kubana gives opening remarks. Andrea Long, of Malden, who graduated on May 14, went back to wish the graduates well. She would like to work in social media pr oduc tion; she attended Worcester State College fo r Occupational Therapy. Shown from right to left are graduates April Kigonya, Cesar Santana, Junie Pierre Louis, Justin Adriano Mokisi, Gindy Santiago Miranda, Laima Stukuls, Soumia Halhali, Rosa Logiudice and Josselyn Ortiz. Skills Training Specialist Alex Kubana (center) held a celebration following the presentation of certifi cates. Chelsea resident Justin Adriano Mokisi plans to work in hotel security. Revere resident Laima Stukuls thanked Mayor Brian Arrigo for job opportunities. She hopes to work as a front desk agent at one of the new hotels in Revere. Re v ere residen t Josselyn Ortiz wants to work at the Holiday Inn. The graduates excitedly raise their Certifi cates of Completion in the air. Lynn resident Cesar Santana hopes to work at Encore Boston Harbor in Everett as a front desk agent or in security. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources in 2006 from Salem State University. Chelsea resident Gindy Santiago Miranda hopes to work as a housekeeper at the Holiday Inn in Chelsea. Everett resident Junie Pierre Louis hopes to put her customer service skills to use with a job in security or humanitarian work. The graduates are pictured on Wednesday with Mayor Brian Arrigo on the stairs of the Revere Society for Cultural & Historic Preservation.
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