The Ministry of Tourism and Culture and its partners will soon re-activate 24 bedrooms and other components, of the Hotel and Tourism Training Centre (HTTC), Brookfields Campus under the Milton Margai College of Education Science and Technology (MMCET). This was disclosed yesterday, Monday 16th September, 2019 at the formal opening of a Training of Trainers session for lecturers, at the College’s Brookfields campus. Organized by NAYCOM’s Youth Skills Development for Entrepreneurship and Employment Project, during the next four days’ lecturers will be exposed to new teaching skills on TVET, using modern methodologies to match job market trends. After the formal courtesies by the Acting Dean of Campus, Halima Juma, officials of NAYCOM and Partners, were taken on a conducted tour of what is left of the once, thriving Government teaching and hospitality facility. Juma explained that the facility was totally vandalized, including WASH, electrical fittings, furniture and equipment to make the Institution functional, “but through Government’s effort some amount of rehabilitation work has been going on, and this is why we commend NAYCOM’s skills development project which will further give boost, to encourage more students get practical education.”
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Cyrilia Wilson from the the National Tourist Board of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture emphasized the need for capacity building in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry, focusing on sector governance, marketing and product development. She added that, as reforms are undertaken to make the industry more viable, “we are also mindful of climate change, which is already affecting coastal hospitality resorts, this is why the Ministry in collaboration with the Tourist Board will support HTTC re-activate 24 bedrooms out of the nearly 100 bed room facility, not only for teaching purpose, but also to serve the public with improved hospitality services, in the heart of Freetown.” Wilson mentioned that Eco and Island policies have been developed, in order to address the issue of climate change, as a result of rising sea levels. Marray Kamara a representative from the NCTVA informed the 15 beneficiary lecturers, that the TVET curriculum review is to put in place the latest modern technology, in technical job, which will focus on 80% practical’s and 20% theory of skills development and job training. He encouraged lecturers to make the four-day session worthwhile, and ask questions, noting that a refresher training will be carried out and certificates from TVET expert tutors will be issued. “I have worked in over 100 countries around the world developing programs for and working with young people on skills development and training, but what disappoints me most is that many Governments still don’t take TVET seriously”. Andrew Simmons a Consultant trainer from LATTANZIO KIBS based in Italy, said they have used TVET to develop both rural and urban regions, after the second world war. He added that Sierra Leone has a lot of opportunities, but lack of right skills among young people is making it difficult for them to know the benefits of TVET. “Sierra Leone needs to prepare its young people to be managers of tomorrow, and this can be achieved through collective efforts and collaboration”. Simmons also mentioned the issue of climate change, therefore the project design will use the latest method of climate change for tourism development, that ensures resources generated be utilized locally, to benefit service providers, communities and the country. NAYCOM’s Commissioner, Ngolo Katta noted that Government is on a rebranding effort of TVET to move the process forward, to address human capacity employability. He said the reason to support the HTTC, Brookfield’s campus is to give boost to the hospitality industry by providing the requisite training at acceptable standards for young people with passion and commitment, to serve in the industry. He furthered that despite the enormous opportunities, the country still has grey areas that needs to be urgently looked into, if the tourism sector is to match up to meet modern hospitality trends. “Sierra Leoneans need to change the trajectory of underdevelopment, and make themselves useful in every path of development, and this is why NAYCOM through the skills development for entrepreneurship and employment, will re-tool the HTTC in order to make the institution more effective, while the ministry and Tourist Board go about the rehabilitation work, on campus”.
By Ade Campbell
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