Formal accredited qualifications for experienced tourism industry workers

An initiative called ‘Recognition for Prior Learning’ was yesterday launched at the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS). The initiative will make it possible for workers within the tourism industry to obtain formal accredited qualifications from work experience, the Tourism Ministry said in a statement.

The formal accreditation framework was created through a cooperation between ITS and Finnish University Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. Through the programme, ITS is addressing the needs of those who are currently employed in the tourism and hospitality sector with extensive experience gathered through working life, seeking to further their skills and obtain formal accredited qualifications, the press release said.

“This approach will allow us to bridge the gap between the mentality of simply having a job in tourism, and the delivery of excellence in hospitality by those who believe that this sector offers them a career,” said Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, explaining how the Government is stressing on long-term issues such as career development, entry qualifications and continuous personal development.

Mr Pierre Fenech, ITS CEO said that, “This will enable such individuals to increase the visibility and value of their knowledge, skills and competences acquired outside formal education and training. They can use such to ease entry into the current courses of ITS including the degree programs in International Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts to be launched in May 2017.”

Ms Marjaana Makela, the Principal Lecturer of Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, who attended the official launch added that to be able to carry out this kind of process with transparent, valid and reliable procedures, constant dialogue is needed between education providers, governmental authorities and relevant industries.

According to the press release, she explained that the philosophy and many of the novel pedagogical solutions in construction of the RPL process at ITS are built upon the Finnish model, itself aligning with the solution-focused and pragmatic Nordic practice of validation.