Young engineer makes history at
BACK in 2016, Joel Dunn graduated from The University of the West Indies with a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering and set out on the management trainee journey at Sandals Resorts International. He did it with one goal in mind — become a chief engineer within five years.
It was quite the ambitious goal as chief engineers, especially within the Sandals chain, typically have at least 10 years’ experience in the field. Dunn, however, was steadfast, and after almost five years with the Sandals Group, the young engineer achieved his goal. Dunn was recently appointed chief engineer at Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort and Private Island, the 232-room resort which is also home to the highly sought after Over-the-water Villas.
Dunn, now 27 years old, is the youngest chief engineer in the company’s 40-year history and is the first graduate of the company’s Management Trainee Programme (MTP) to hold the post of chief engineer.
In real world terms, Dunn’s promotion has indeed happened in record time, but it’s a dream that has long been in the making for the Ardenne High School past student. “I’ve always wanted to be an engineer,” he said, “I’ve always had a knack for working with electronic and mechanical equipment, which resulted in me developing great intuition and technical skills that would often see me becoming more advanced than my peers and contemporaries.”
The MTP for engineers is a robust, three-year training programme which prepares both new hires and existing team members for exciting management and leadership roles in the company. Management trainees are exposed to strategic, hands-on training through rotations in various departments at the company’s resorts in seven islands in the Caribbean. At the end of the training, successful candidates are placed in management roles.
Armed with his newly earned degree, Dunn applied for the programme in 2016 because he wanted to gain first-hand engineering experience with a world-renowned company. He shared, “Despite having numerous job offers at the time, choosing Sandals wasn’t a complicated decision. Additionally, Sandals afforded me tremendous room for growth and the opportunity to travel and experience different cultures in the workplace. Ultimately, these factors weighed heavily in my decision.”
His management trainee experience took him to several resorts across the region including Sandals Royal Barbados, Sandals Grenada, Sandals Royal Plantation and Sandals Negril where he served in various roles, cross-trained in several departments and benefited from a fully immersive learning experience. Of his journey in the programme, Dunn said, “The Management Trainee Programme afforded me experiences that were at two extreme ends of the spectrum. On one hand, I gained extensive exposure, with a wealth of knowledge in all aspects of hospitality, a strong attribute for personal development and which definitely enhanced my technical expertise. On the other hand, the experience was also fast-paced, and filled with hard work, uncertainties and exhaustion. This helped mould my skills