The plan includes a hotel school within Punta Bergantín and a technology center in Montellano, with mobile workshops and training programs designed to enable the local population to lead the area's tourism development.

Villa Montellano, Puerto Plata. – The National Institute for Technical and Vocational Training (INFOTEP) announced, together with the Punta Bergantín Trust, the construction of two training centers, one specializing in hospitality and the other in the municipality of Villa Montellano, as part of its commitment to developing the human capital required for tourism development in the northern region.

The information was released at a meeting attended by Rafael Santos Badía, Director General of INFOTEP; Andrés Marranzini, Executive Director of the Punta Bergantín Trust; and Héctor Almonte, Mayor of Villa Montellano, accompanied by the Deputy Mayor and the City Council members.

Santos Badía explained that the project includes two complementary training facilities: a hotel school in Punta Bergantín, specializing in trades specific to the tourism industry, and a technology center in the municipality of Montellano, designed to provide training in various production and service areas.

"The central objective of this training effort is to ensure that the jobs generated by the tourism development of Punta Bergantín benefit, first and foremost, the residents of Montellano and nearby communities," emphasized the INFOTEP general director.

Andrés Marranzini, for his part, announced that a small 12-room hotel-training center will be built within the tourist complex, which will be operated by INFOTEP students with the support of renowned hotel brands.

He explained that this vocational training model in a real-world setting will allow participants to experience real-life hotel operations before entering the workforce, with the support and certification of INFOTEP, which will give them greater credibility and opportunities in the sector.

He also highlighted the importance of creating a joint working committee between the City Council, the Punta Bergantín project, and INFOTEP to establish clear goals and ensure concrete and measurable results that directly benefit the community.

Mayor Héctor Almonte praised the presence of the authorities and the clarity regarding the training projects, emphasizing that the municipality needs its own training center to prepare its population for the economic and social impact that tourism development will bring.

“Montellano has gone from being a sugarcane municipality to a tourism one. To take advantage of this transformation, we must prepare our youth and adults in the areas demanded by the market. Today we begin a working group to capitalize on the opportunities we have been waiting for for years,” said the mayor.

INFOTEP training in Villa Montellano

INFOTEP's general director, Rafael Santos Badía, instructed the transfer of five fully equipped mobile training workshops to Montellano to strengthen training in high-demand trades and areas for the development of tourism in the area.

To date, INFOTEP has provided more than 1,500 hours of training in areas such as electricity, English, baking, gastronomy, and soft skills, ensuring that the local population is prepared to take advantage of the job opportunities that tourism development will generate.