$100m for tourism curriculum in high schools
ST JAMES, Jamaica — The Ministry of Tourism is providing $100 million in a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, to launch the first certification programme for high school students to gain entry level qualification in tourism.
Disclosing the sum, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett said there has been an agreement with Education Minister, Ruel Reid “to put in $100 million to establish a curriculum in high schools for the certification of students in hospitality, starting September.”
The announcement came as both ministers gave keynote addresses at the historic graduation of over 150 hospitality workers by the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) on Sunday at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James.
Bartlett said the collaboration was part of a wider programme being pursued by both ministries and is an important part of the whole stage of development of the professional path in the human development strategy of the ministry of tourism under the “5x5x5”.
The 5x5x5 is a growth strategy to achieve 5 million tourists visiting Jamaica in 5 years and enabling the country to earn US$5 billion.
The human capital development programme also includes Team Jamaica educating and generally sensitising tourism workers at the broad grass root level to what the industry is all about; HEART National Training Agency providing training in various areas of competence for entry level into the industry; tertiary level institutions providing academic qualification in hospitality; and culminating in JCTI certifying professionals in the various areas and offering scope for continued advancement in the sector.
Of the over 150 graduates, 75 have been certified as hospitality supervisors; 13 lecturers and 12 students with Certification in Hospitality Analytics (CHIA); 11 completed the American Culinary Federation (AFC) certification; 2 ACF Certified Executive Chefs have received certification as Certified Evaluators and 50 from the Centre of Occupational Studies programme as supervisors.
