Hotels challenged by lack of well-trained staff

Local and international hotel operators are facing difficulty due to a lack of skilled hotel staff as the job requirements of the tourism sector continues to grow.

Eskaya Beach Resort Corp. president and chief operating officer Ralph Miguel Lim confirmed the difficulty in finding qualified hotel staff.

“Yes, it is hard to find workers and hotel staff. It’s not easy. I learned that because whenever we have staff leaving, it’s quite difficult to look for replacement,” Lim said.

Eskaya is a luxury resort in the island of Pangalao in Bohol. Lim said at 90 percent of its staff comes from the local area.

Meanwhile, Evelyn Singson, president and vice-chairman of Philippine Hoteliers Inc., said the owner of the Dusit brand in the Philippines said that there is a “serious” lack of trained and professional staff in the hotel industry.

Singson said this has caused the pirating of quality staff from one hotel to another.

“This is the reason why we feel we should set up a school, because it’s not only here, it’s worldwide (the lack of staff),” Singson said.

Dusit International is set to open the Dusit Hospitality Management College in Fort Bonifacio this coming school year.

Degree programs offered by the school will be certified by the world renowned École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), while professional advancement and culinary programs will be introduced in collaboration with the Institut Paul Bocuse.

The hospitality school will be located in Bonifacio Global City.

Singson said the school aims to produce graduates who are ready to work for the hotel industry not just in the Philippines, but also worldwide.

“We want them to take the risk with us, so we are offering attractive scholarships. Our vision, mission is to produce job-ready graduates, with guaranteed placements,” Singson said.

For his part, Lim said Eskaya is beginning to work with local universities in Bohol that are producing potential workers. ”Right now, we are starting to tap into the local universities here and seeking their help, assistance in looking for these skilled staff, Lim said.