Crafting a future for new hotel recruits

Training to become an hotelier can be a challenging task even to the trainer. Sri Lanka has done much through its key state institute to provide a modern curriculum and improve on the programmes made available to students wanting to get ahead in this industry.

Former chairman of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) Sunil Dissanayake who was the first alumni of the institute to serve for three years until November last year as its head spoke with the Business Times last week on his tenure with the establishment. He continues to serve in the capacity of Director General of the BMICH.

During his time at the SLITHM, he explained they had tied up with the World University Service of Canada that helped to modernise the curriculum and match with today’s standards.

In fact the institute also ensured that the private hotel schools would register with them to ensure better regulation of these institutes as well.

Foreign students from Nepal in the SAARC grouping were also allowed to participate in the courses offered at the institute while they were also able to provide training for the staff of the National Apprenticeship and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) which conducts similar programmes there as well.

Of the 3000 graduates that would pass out annually the capacity of women had increased to 20 per cent, Mr. Dissanayake said adding that hotels today would provide enhanced accommodation for the female workers in a bid to entice more of them to join the sector.

During his tenure he noted that they opened new hotel schools in addition to the already established six schools in Colombo, Kandy, Koggala, Ratnapura, Kurunegala, Bandrawela; in 2015 they opened in Hambantota, Polonnaruwa, Passikudah, Negombo and in December 2017, the Jaffna institute.

Mr. Dissanayake pointed out that they had also introduced new courses like the apprenticeship course of one month duration with a target of 20 per cent of the skills to be obtained during their work-shift.

Following this they would be linked up with hotels and upon completion of three years’ work experience they could then join the craft courses of six months, he noted.

The institute during this time had also been in contact with the Australia Awards on building on capacity and development for which they had a residential programme in Melbourne, Australia especially for the junior lecturers.

SLITHM, Mr. Dissanayake noted caters to about 70 per cent of the job requirement in the market with the balance provided by the hotel schools established by the industry itself. Of the 12,000 jobs available in the year SLITHM had been able to target about 7000 with about 85 per cent at the entry level, 10 per cent at the supervisory level and 5 per cent at the management level.

The former Chairman also noted they had partnered with the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka ( TAASL), the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and the City Hotels Association of Sri Lanka that engage in regular interaction with the institute of the ongoing issues and how to cater to the future requirements of the industry.