Hospitality graduates seek help

The Umjindi Municipality Local Economic Development (LED) section is appealing to local business people in the hospitality sector to offer practical training to some of its graduates in the field.

According to Sthembiso Mbuyane, LED coordinator, the training is rendered free of charge to hospitality establishment owners as the graduates are paid monthly stipends by the National development of Tourism (NDT).

The programme was started by the NDT in 2012 and was called the Tourism Ambassador Programme. Its aim was to train local residents in hospitality jobs and Umjindi was granted 20 learnerships.

All 20 students completed the programme in February 2014. According to Mbuyane, because of this success in 2013/14 the NDT granted them 30 learnerships for this financial year.

“Students are taught skills used in a hospitality environment. They are then placed at hospitality establishments such as hotels and guest houses. There, they practise what they had been taught while receiving stipends from NDT on a monthly basis.

In the previous programme, this has benefited local hospitality establishments in many ways as they had an opportunity to train these students in this competitive industry while having extra hands to get work done.

We appeal to all local guest houses, lodges, hotel owners and the hospitality sector in general to please assist us by placing even more students at their establishments,” said Mbuyane.

He said the programme aimed to providing young people with much-needed experience. These students receive accredited hospitality certificates at the end of the 12-month term.

“Unemployment is rife in the municipality and by placing these young people in your establishment you will be assisting them to gain valuable experience and learn at the same time.

The programme is flexible enough to allow establishment owners to let the learners work during hours that suit their business. There are lots of benefits for their business as well.

They will have extra hands at their establishments and this can allow them to train staff for the future at no costs,” continued Mbuyane. He said some students from the previous programme have already been appointed full-time by some establishments. “However, the owners are not forced to hire anyone, but if they are satisfied with the students they have an option to appoint them at the end of the programme.

Contracts are signed with the establishments and no one may be entered into an unreasonable agreement. We request that we work together as a community and develop our young people,” concluded Mbuyane.

Enquiries: the LED section on 013-712-8800.