STA officially launches upskilling programme with MoU signing |04 August 2020

(L to r) Mr Joubert, Mr Lucas and Mr Morel after signing the MoU (Photo: Jude Morel)

The Seychelles Employee Transition Scheme (Sets) and the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and officially launched the tourism upskilling programme yesterday in a special ceremony at the STA campus.

Present to sign the MoU and launch the programme was Flavien Joubert, principal of STA; chairperson of the board of Sets, Aubrey Lucas; chief executive of Sets, Guy Morel and Medna Latulipe, training champion for Sets.

The purpose of the re-skilling programme is to develop and sharpen the participants’ leadership and management capabilities as many locals do not have these two skills which prevent them from moving forward.

In his address, Mr Joubert noted that this is not the first time that the academy has offered upskilling programmes as it was first offered in 2009 when 300 participants applied.

“When the course was over, STA decided to keep three participants to work for STA and became lecturers,” said Mr Joubert.

He continued by adding that if not for the upskilling programme training local workers in the tourism industry then they would have had to hire foreign workers.

With a duration of sixteen weeks on a six hour per day basis the upskilling programme will have a course of twelve modules, at the end of which participants will be given a certificate of attainment and a basic first aid certificate.

Maxime Louise, who is the head of programme for in-service training and apprentice scheme, will be overseeing the programme.

“The point of the training is to make sure that locals are equipped with the necessary knowledge to move to the next step up in their career as GOPs will not be renewed,” said Mrs Latulipe.

She added that there is a desire from hospitality workers to learn more and move up in their careers. She encouraged hotels to give these participants a chance once the training is completed to put what they have learned to good use.

“Once someone studies leadership and management they will be able to apply the skills they’ve learned to other fields not just hospitality so this training will offer the participants a wide range of opportunity,” said Mrs Latulipe.

The training itself will begin by the end of August with 125 participants and will only be available for people already in the hospitality industry. Participants will be required to have two years’ experience with a good command of the English language.

“Investing in the youths and those who are already in the trade is a good strategy as we have to bring everybody on board. The whole point of the upskilling programme is to get people to move forward out of their comfort zone and learn skills that will move them to a higher level in their career,” said Mr Morel after signing the MoU.

Christophe Zialor