IIHL brings professional hospitality and leisure qualifications to SL

Thursday, 28 June 2012 00:31 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Cheranka Mendis

With the tourism industry gearing up to welcome 2.5 million tourists by 2016, Imperial Institute of Hospitality and Leisure (IIHL) yesterday announced the launch of industry qualifications from UK’s Institute of Hospitality (IH) which aims to provide the much needed training and skill set to local workforce.

A first in South Asia, IIHL has been awarded the status of approved centre of IH, officials said.

Scheduled to start in August with the Diploma in International Hospitality and Tourism, IIHL and will introduce a range of courses covering topics of business management, finance and business planning, HR management, marketing and sales, consumer management and professional development.

IIHL COO Harshana Perera speaking at the press launch stated that as an institute committed to provide professional qualifications and play its part in developing human capital in the country, the new course programs will ensure that the country has the trained, qualified and thus employable staff that could support the industry growth.

“Hospitality and leisure has been identified as a significant growth sector within the next four years. The need for human resource development in this area is seen as an increasing need. With more hotel projects starting up, the demand for professionals will only increase,” Perera said.

Starting with this, IIHL aims to introduce craft courses in culinary operations, F&B service operations, accommodation operations and hotel operations endorsed by IH in the near future.

A state of the art industry kitchen is also now being designed which could train 20 students at once which is expected to be ready by November.

Enabling senior and middle level management in the industry to acquire the qualification, the program has been designed in a flexible, accessible manner focused on those already in the industry in a unit based structure. Assessments are to be done electronically which gives the students the choice of deciding a convenient date for the exams.

IH CEO Philip Rositter who was down in Sri Lanka for the launch noted that the gradual progress in the country is an encouraging sign, along with the planned growth for the industry.

Rositter asserted that at IH, courses are offered covering all sectors of the industry which in time could be introduced to the locals. “We are also encouraged by the plan to develop craft courses for those engaged in the industry. This would benefit a number of people starting with basics to those in the managerial posts.

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