MARRIOT INTERNATIONAL, an American hospitality company with interests in Rwanda, plans to adopt Akilah Women’s Institute programmes to train its staff in Africa.  The hotel’s management announced plans for the second half of 2013 with reaffirmation of commitment to develop skills of its staff using the unique Akilah Institute of Women programmes."Marriott plans to extend a training model currently being utilised by the Akilah  Institute of Women in Rwanda to upgrade skills of its employees,” Alex Kyriakidis, the Marriott International Middle East and Africa president and managing director, said in the statement.Akilah Institute of Women based in Rwanda, offers unique training in entrepreneurship, hospitality management and Information Systems. Kyriakidis said that through the Akilah initiative, Marriot International will give people the platform to learn transferable skills that they can pass on to others, which in turn will strengthen the middle-class in the region."The fact that they do this while earning a salary will support the growing economy and encourage further growth. The initiative has been a huge success, both for Marriot International and the locals who are receiving this life-changing training and opportunity. We are keen to emulate that success throughout the continent. These aren’t just jobs we are creating, but career opportunities with potential for growth.”As part of the Hotel’s wider expansion drive across Africa, the hotel will develop 22 hotel projects that will create 5,500 new jobs in Africa over next four years.Marriott first announced its entry into the Rwandan market in 2010. It is currently constructing a five-star, 254-room hotel in Kigali that will be completed next year.In addition to the Kigali Marriott Hotel project, the company has other investment interests in Africa, including the 104-unit Marriott Executive Apartments Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and the 209-room Accra Marriott Hotel in Ghana. This is in addition to re-opening of the 307-room JW Marriott Hotel Tripoli in Libya next year, following its closure during the political unrest that engulfed Libya over the past years.  The company plans a number of additional projects scheduled to open in 2016, bringing the total number of announced projects to 22 hotels in nine different countries.