Through its membership of the World Airport VIP Forum (WAVForum), La Valette Club at Malta International Airport is offering its team of employees training opportunities overseas. WAVForum is an independent working group set up with the aim of integrating and standardising VIP services among member airports, and offers group members the possibility to share best practices and knowledge and to experience VIP business models at different airports.

Through the WAVForum, La Valette Club has also embarked on staff exchange programmes where team members engage in two types of job practice. The frirst is job shadowing, which essentially entails those in the programme to shadow and work alongside personnel in another airport, giving employees the opportunity to observe and experience first-hand how other airports work. The second is job support where La Valette staff is sent to other VIP airport clubs to offer support for large scale events and during particularly busy periods.

Customer Service Hostesses at La Valette Club Leanne Bondin and Eleonor Curmi have just returned from Helsinki where they engaged in job support on a national hockey event held in the VIP building in Vantaa Airport. Commenting about the experience, Ms Curmi said that “this was my first taste of working overseas and it has been a positive experience all round. My time at Vantaa Airport helped me in getting to know how other organisations work and how cultural differences affect operations. I was able to network and also picked-up tips that I now would like to apply on my job at La Valette Club and share with my colleagues.”

La Valette Club administrator Moira Fenech explained how these overseas placements are also contributing greatly to motivating and inspiring employees. “These opportunities are helping our team perform even better in their positions and aiding us in our constant commitment to improve on the already high quality services offered by La Valette Club at MIA.”