Likhitha K K

Meet Likhitha from Madikeri. She has always been enthusiastic and driven towards working in the hotel industry, however she found it difficult to convince her parents, who did not think hotel was the right place for a girl to work. Being coffee estate workers, they had only seen small homestay near their village. Once her parents saw our facilities, met the teachers and students, they were convinced but could not afford the nominal fee that we charge, through AVS an Angel came forward to support her education.

Likhitha worked hard at AVS, which helped her improve her spoken English, and she overcame her stage fright. Being a hard worker, she did not want to burden her parents in any way, she interned at a local restaurant to gain experience and earn pocket money. Today she is employed at Belli’s Café and is growing in confidence which helps her handle different types of customers each day.

AVS encourages its students to continue studies while they work, she is also pursuing her degree through correspondence.

Likhita says “when I joined AVS, I learned about F&B Service, which I really liked, we did a lot of role plays, that helped me overcome stage fright and talk to people without hesitation. I would encourage my friends to join AVS the teachers are very helpful.”

Belli’s owner Ponnappa says “Likhita is a very hardworking and polite girl; she is always willing to go the extra mile in guest handling. We have had AVS support from the time we have opened with interns and full time employees.”

Shreeja S

Parents pressurize kids to do graduation, ask them what next? They enroll for computer classes learning tally and basic programming … to what end?

Shreeja came to AVS for 3 month training in hospitality, after which she was selected to join ITC Gardenia in Bangalore. Her fan moment was when she met Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Jadeja, and many more. Her learning and work were intense, but she did not give up. Today she works at Taj Madikeri, closer to her home.

Shreeja is a fervent believer that regardless of one’s life circumstances, one should be financially independent. Daughter of a carpenter, she knew nothing about Hotels, she says “I did not know anything about hospitality or the opportunities that exist. I believed in AVS and my parents allowed me to work where I got placed. The biggest learning for me is – Hotels are a safe place for girls, and the department does not matter- but the brand does. With AVS we get the best placements. I am very happy and so is my family.”

HR Manager of Taj Madikeri Mr. Satya NVV says “Ms. Shreeja S Our Housekeeping associate known for her cheerful demeanor has been our Guest’s favorite, though she has joined us a little over six months, she has been serving our guests with complete generosity, warmth and sincere care which sets her apart from the others. She is always around for her guests and ensures to keep the guest rooms impeccably clean, her dedication towards creating memories for our guest makes her a true ambassador of Taj. We hope that she achieves greater success in the years to come.”

AVS has been associated with Taj Madikeri since its inception in 2018, Mr. Satya says “We are extremely happy being associated with the institute, that empower the youth within the local communities through skill trainings and grooming them to the industry requirements. The students employed from Atithi Vriksha Shiksha are conversant with the industry practices which helps us in bridging the skill gap.”

Today’s featured student is Hema, a former AVS student who within just 3 months of training, secured a position with the renowned Evolve Back Resort in Coorg during a campus selection. With dreams in her eyes and a burning desire to reach great heights, she recalls her training at Atithi Vriksha Shiksha as having helped her grow tremendously and would strongly suggest AVS to anybody who is looking to start their career with hospitality. “AVS provided me the flexibility to study and grow as a person, the faculty helped me gain self-confidence, and brought out the best in me” she said when questioned about her time at AVS.
The work at Evolve Back Resort has made Hema financially independent in a short span and has also given her an opportunity to put her talents to use.
The training manager at the resort believes that “The employees hired from AVS stand out in terms of their performance, work ethic, soft skills and set a great an example of being a good employee in front of everyone. We are so happy that they are a part of this organization.”