NELSPRUIT – The Department of Higher Education (DHET) is hard at work upgrading the facilities at the Mpumalanga Regional Training Trust (MRTT).
For the next four years, the site will be used by the University of Mpumalanga to offer a diploma in Hospitality Management. As of February, it will start using the facilities alongside the MRTT.
It offers certificates in professional cooking, accommodation services, and food and beverage. As part of a skills programme, they also offer a short three-month course to train students to be assistant chefs. In addition, they run a three-year diploma chef course for 42 students in conjuction with the Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (Dedet).
In the meantime, the design and construction of additional buildings will be finalised. Once the hospitality department moves to the new facilities, MRTT will keep its upgraded kitchens, computer laboratories, lecture halls and student accommodation.
The course will also offer students a three-year diploma in hospitality under the patronage of the University of Johannesburg (UJ), which is involved with designing the course and overseeing quality control.
Students enrolling in the University of Mpumalanga’s hospitality course at MRTT will thus technically enrol at UJ in 2014. In the year 2015, the Mpumalanga university will officially start operations under the DHET.
Applications for the university’s agriculture and hospitality courses will close on January 10. The committee emphasised that funding is available and students who qualify will be assisted.
Enquiries: studentadmissions@ump.ac.za or sandile.mabuza@ump.ac.za or visit www.ump.ac.za
