15 participants complete Hospitality Instructor Level 1 exams
Better career opportunities with a recognised international hospitality certificate. That is what the Hospitality Initiative project is working hard on. And with success! A total of 15 participants passed the course and received their certificates. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA), which jointly started the project, are happy with this result.
A milestone
Drs. Peggy-Ann Dros-Richardson, chairman and representative of the NIPA board, expressed her enthusiasm about this milestone: “We are happy to witness the positive impact of the ‘Hospitality Initiative’ on the islands of Saba and Sint Eustatius. This milestone is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our participants, our facilitator and the entire project team.”
The first Certified Hospitality Instructor course
The project first focused on the Certified Hospitality Instructor (CHI) course. Former teachers with a hospitality background could register to get certified as instructors. There was a lot of interest in the course. A total of 20 participants took part. 15 participants from Saba and five participants from St Eustatius. It was 13 intensive weeks of comprehensive training. The course was facilitated by project leader Anenda Zaandam, who is also a CHI and Certified Hospitality Educator certified by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute. The successful completion of Level 1 exams in the Certified Hospitality Instructor course is an important step within the project that started in March.
After the instructors are fully certified, the next step is for the START courses to begin by the end of the year. The START courses are the basic courses within hospitality.
The ‘Hospitality Initiative Island’ project
With the project, OCW and NIPA aim to strengthen the labour market position of workers in the hospitality industry. Therefore, the training is fully funded by OCW. This allows participants to obtain internationally recognised certification for free. This opens doors to better career opportunities. It also strengthens the availability of qualified personnel in the HORECA.
Are you also interested? Then apply through the NIPA website at www.nipa.sx