COMMITTED TO SECTOR EXCELLENCE STA GETS NEW CAMPUS
The Seychelles Tourism Academy remains at the centre of the governments’ efforts to increase the skills of the workforce in the tourism and hospitality industry, supporting the ‘affirmative action programme’ of absorbing more and more Seychellois citizens into the workforce. Tourism is the number one foreign exchange earner of the archipelago and as more and more new resorts are springing up across the islands, more and more job opportunities arise for young Seychellois wishing to make a career in the sector.
Hotel management companies have in the past relied heavily on expatriate staff but the ratio has over recent years started to change, as the Seychelles Tourism Academy has continued to introduce new and relevant courses, while cooperating with international tertiary institutions specialized in hotel management and tourism courses, to offer their students the very latest course content and study opportunities.
Earlier this week the ground breaking ceremony for new campus buildings took place, performed by none other but President James Michel, whose presence once again demonstrated the level of attention given to the tourism industry by the president, who took the tourism portfolio last year directly under his own control. Also present were a number of high ranking government officials, led by the Vice President, and tourism board CEO Alain St. Ange and his deputy Elsia Grandcourt as well as top tourism stakeholders were at hand too to celebrate the occasion.
The next two years will see the construction and roll out of new facilities like lecture, meeting and event rooms but also a ‘business’ element with villas and a hotel to earn income for the academy while giving students the opportunity to practice new skills and train for the workplace.
Small country – big vision, welcome to the Creole island paradise a thousand miles apart from everything else.
