A Hospitality Training School should be operational early next year at University College of the Cayman Islands, Premier McKeeva Bush told legislators Wednesday. The school, whose offerings would eventually include bachelor’s degrees, is a project involving the Ministry of Finance, Development and Tourism, and UCCI, with support expected from the private sector.
Mr. Bush said the decision has already been made for students to gain practical hotel experience by utilising facilities at Treasure Island Resort, including rooms, front desk, maintenance, kitchen and dining areas.
UCCI President Roy Bodden said the new school would encompass the college’s current hospitality industry course offerings, including the Tourism Apprenticeship Training Programme and Associate of Arts programme in Hospitality Management. He said establishing the Hospitality Training School sends a challenge to Cayman’s private hospitality sector to provide employment opportunities for locally trained students.
“I told the Premier that as far as I’m concerned – and this is based on my experience both as an educator and a former Minister of Employment – the problem is not the training and qualifying of the students. The problem comes when it’s time for their employment and the system we have here, where the employers, the owners and proprietors of these establishments, play games with our students,” Mr. Bodden said. “I’m used to the games, and it’s time that it comes to an end.”
Mr. Bush and Mr. Bodden both said residents have expressed sufficient interest in hospitality training programmes to warrant the development and expansion of the new school.
Mr. Bush told the House, “[A] Hospitality School has been talked about in the past and is long overdue for our tourism sector, and indeed for the benefit of our islands. The time has come for us to get it done so that young
Caymanians will have further opportunities to become qualified professionals within the sector, with a clear path for employment and advancement.”
Mr. Bodden said, “We will deliver on our end, and in turn [Mr. Bush] has to ensure that when these young people return qualified, they don’t get this nonsense from employers. People are wondering who owns the Cayman Islands and who is benefiting from the industry. There is too much tokenism and hypocrisy going on. We can’t be expected to be training and turning out students for this to happen. This is the only jurisdiction where certain things will be tolerated and expected.”
Establishing the hospitality school will come about in two phases, first where the school will offer City and Guilds certification and associate’s degree programmes, with core area of study being food and beverage, food preparation, spa services, front office operations, rooms (housekeeping) and maintenance.
In the second phase, the school will add bachelor’s degree programmes, with additional core areas of study including spa director, housekeeping supervisor, rooms division manager and water sports/dive instructor. Mr. Bush said the hospitality school will offer internationally recognised certifications and partner with institutions such as Cornell University, Johnson and Wales-affiliated universities, and the Culinary Institute of America. In the second phase, the school will potentially accept international students.
UCCI has an articulation agreement with Johnson and Wales, Mr. Bodden said, but not with Cornell or the Culinary Institute, which have highly regarded hospitality and culinary programmes, respectively. He said UCCI has been working to become an accredited training provider through City and Guilds, a United Kingdom-based vocational education organisation.
To be successful, the new school will require considerable input and support from the Department of Immigration, Mr. Bush said.
“The TATP programme has demonstrated that this support is needed, as often apprentices face challenges finding work experience, and employment after graduation. We will be counting on Immigration to help address this issue,” he said.
An advisory council consisting of 10 to 12 members will be appointed to assist with the school’s strategic development. Council members will be drawn from the following areas: UCCI (two members, including the Dean of Academic Affairs), Ministry of Tourism (one member), Ministry of Education (one member), Department of Tourism (one member), Chamber of Commerce (one member), Immigration Department (one member), Cayman Islands Tourism Association (three members from restaurants and accommodations sectors) and financial services industry (one member). Mr. Bush said one member will be from Cayman Brac.
“There is a willingness and an enthusiasm on the part of the university authorities to partner with the Ministry and the government in this program, which we were hoping could have been developed over the years. It is now left to us, both the university and the government, to present it as an option that is attractive to students, and that is what we are good at here at the university,” Mr. Bodden said.
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So can someone answer this question is this new course going to be for ALL people living here in Cayman or only for Caymanians ,and why is it only the second year you state would be open to International Students where is the sense in this,surely anyone wanting to do the course should have the opportunity to complete all courses available .
Unlike the course being run the now where only Caymanians are being allowed to do the Certificate in Hospitality ,i cannot believe this is the mentality that they have turned down fee paying applicants and have the stupidity to state if any Caymanians pull out the course that they will cancel the whole year instead of offering it to people who really want to do it and also pay for it .This seems to be the overall stupidity and narrowmindedness of the Caymanians in charge …..
I would welcome some answers from those who are in charge of this New Hospitality Training School !