STA STUDENT TAKES SHANNON’S TOP RANKING
The first ever group of Seychellois students, who recently completed their degree course at the Shannon College of Hotel Management, did the archipelago proud as Ms. Rose-May Payette walked off with the top ranking and scooped the prize for ‘Best Student’ overall in her academic year.
13 Seychellois students were among the nearly 100 graduates from the college and Ms. Payette was the one to not just get a trophy and framed certificate but also a cash prize of 3.000 Euros for her extraordinary achievement.
All students are now commencing an 18 months intensive work place related additional training in some of Europe’s finest hotels as well as in the UAE, where the Seychelles Tourism Academy has made arrangements for placements of their graduate students before they return home to begin work in one of the archipelago’s many 5 star resorts.
The 13 enrolled at Seychelles Tourism Academy in March 2008 to become the first ever group of student to follow a Bachelor Degree in Hospitality Management validated by Shannon Hospitality College of Ireland.
In 2011 the students validated the first component of their course, an Advance Diploma in Hospitality Management at the Seychelles Tourism Academy after spending four years at the Academy. They then moved to Shannon Hospitality College in Ireland to validate their fifth year and have now completed their Bachelor Degree in Hospitality Management. During their four years at the Seychelles Tourism Academy the students spent over 14 months of work attachment in hotels in the Seychelles and 2 months of work attachment at the 5 Star Belle Mare Plage Hotel in Mauritius.
Present at the occasion was STA Principal Flavien Joubert who said to them after the ceremony: ‘Your results are a great achievements for Seychelles who now count on Hotels and the Tourism Trade partners in Seychelles to welcome this first group of trained Seychellois Hospitality Management Professionals with a conducive working environment, with continuous training programme possibilities, with a succession plan to see the local colour move up the management ladder in the industry we all say remains the pillar of our economy, and importantly with a decent and conducive salary as per international norms’.
The Chief Executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board Mrs. Elsia Grandcourt added: ‘The Seychelles Tourism Board is extremely pleased with this high achievement. The Principal and the management of the Tourism Academy should feel proud to see their students excel as they did. Today I also congratulate Ms. Rose-May Payette for her outstanding performance. This achievement has given the highest international visibility to our cohorts of students studying at the Shannon Hospitality College’. Well done indeed as back home the construction of a new purpose build academy is progressing towards opening of phase one by midyear. Watch this space.
(Graduation picture courtesy of STA / STB)
