Youth trained to support tourism in their areas

The Good Work Foundation (GWF) has started to play a major role in alleviating the shortage of hospitality training programmes for young adults.

Some of the most celebrated safari businesses in the world are situated near Hazyview. This need is even more acute considering the Bushbuckridge municipality, adjacent to the Greater Kruger National Park, has a 65% youth unemployment rate.

For this reason, travel-industry stakeholders are excited to see the growth of this local non-profit organisation, which has built on its existing digital learning programme foundation by adding a registered hospitality course.

The intention is to connect young rural South Africans to the huge opportunities in the growing economy of wildlife.

In partnership with global industry leader, Amadeus, and in collaboration with Economic Development Solutions (EDS), GWF’s Travel & Tourism Academy is “demand-led”, and the first group of

25 students will have the opportunity to receive internships in a brand new hotel upon completion of their one-year programme.

“Recent demand studies have shown that safari businesses are desperate for young, local talent with the necessary skills to provide a world-class luxury experience,” said Maria-Goretti Awogu, GWF’s executive head of programmes and campus operations.

“Our 25 students have jobs waiting for them, and in 2020, based on requirements from the industry, we will double the size of students in this programme.”

The GWF Hospitality Programme is presented in partnership with the South African College of Tourism (SACT), which has enabled GWF to offer SACT accreditation. GWF focuses on combining theoretical learning with practical training and activities that simulate the real work environment.

In addition to these industry-specific skills, the programme includes generic life skills essential to equipping students for careers in hospitality (e.g. customer care, workplace communication, telephone and computer skills).

The learning units contained in this first skills programme include workplace environment (facilities and departments within a hotel, appearance and hygiene, workplace safety and security); workplace communication (effective communication, telephone skills); customer service (dealing with customers, customer needs and complaints, working as a team, dealing with workplace conflict); personal development (career development and planning, personal development planning); and computer skills.

“On the practical learning front, this month the students had their first experience in a hotel environment,” said Kathleen Hay, the Travel & Tourism Academy programme manager. It was the first time in a hotel for many of them, so it was an extremely valuable learning experience.

“These are the first steps in creating a new wave of local talent from Bushbuckridge. It is early days yet, but the face of safari is changing, and that change must begin with quality tuition, passionate facilitators and work opportunities that are real!” she added.