40 students get feel of career in hospitality and tourism industry
KOTA KINABALU: Mercure Kota Kinabalu City Centre welcomed 40 secondary school students from SMK Bandaraya for its first collaboration with Ascot Academy since its grand opening on October 23 this year.
This inaugural cooperation was done in support of MyCenTHE National Awareness Campaign 2017 which is to promote hospitality and tourism industry to students from local schools.
The students were chaperoned by the school catering coordinators, Fatimah Hj Digong and Nurul Maria Ahmad.
MyCenTHE is a national initiative under the National Transformation Programme (NTP) launched with the aim of providing Malaysia's expanding tourism and hospitality industries with quality human capital since November 2010. Ascot Academy is one of the members for MyCenTHE Sabah.
Upon arrival, the school entourage was welcomed by Jacques Leizerovici, general manager of Mercure Kota Kinabalu City Centre (Mercure KKCC); Ya'kob Zaini, executive assistant manager and the rest of his management team.
The students were directed to Mercure's privilege room which is located on the 25th f loor for a presentation of Accor Hotels and the prospect of working with the brand by Aleecia Pramlee, the Talent & Culture ( HR) Manager.
A sharing session by Chef Mohd Irwan Lie, Sabahan executive chef and beverage manager of Mercure KKCC was very much anticipated as most of the students attending the event were from the catering class of SMK Bandaraya.
Chef Irwan not only shared his background and journey into the culinary world and with Accor hotels but also provided crucial motivation and inspiration to the students. The students were thoroughly impressed and hoped to follow in his footsteps.
After the session, the students were divided into two groups for housekeeping and food and beverage demonstration. The three-hour visit ended with a sumptuous buffet lunch at Maupassant Restaurant located at second floor of the hotel.