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High school students to benefit from $100M hospitality training programme

Published:Thursday | July 12, 2018 | 12:43 PM
Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett (right), and Ruel Reid, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, speaks at a signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding for a $100-million Hospitality and Tourism Management Programme in high schools - Contributed photo

Six hundred and fifty high-school students across the island are to benefit from a $100-million Hospitality and Tourism Management Programme this year, which will see them gaining internationally recognised certification in the industry.

To be rolled out in 30 high schools in mid-September, the intense two-year programme will be offered to students in grades 11, 12 and 13, free of cost.

It will provide participants with broad-based learning on the tasks, knowledge and skills required to build a career within the hospitality and tourism industry.

The programme is offered by the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute as part of its suite of programmes aimed at high-school students.

It was developed by industry experts and members of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLEI) as the official industry-recognised curriculum to prepare students for roles in hotels and the hotel industry at large and beyond.

The 30 teachers who will be delivering the programme content for the courses will be specially trained to do so.

Graduates of the programme will gain an Associate Degree in Customer Service; AHLEI Certification; National Vocational Qualification of Jamaica level 4 Certification; and Customer Service Industry Association recognition.

The programme will also include internships, facility tours and the completion of academic and practical tasks in class and online. 

A joint initiative between the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, and the Ministry of Tourism, the programme is being facilitated under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

The MOU was signed by Education Minister Senator Ruel Reid and Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett during a ceremony at Jamaica House on Wednesday.

Reid said he endorsed the initiative noting that it is timely and consistent with the ministry’s overall plans for the education and training sector.

In his remarks, Bartlett said the programme will result in a fully trained, highly efficient workforce that can provide the best experience for visitors.

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