Hospitality and tourism employees urged to take new programs forward of reopening

Workers in the hospitality and tourism industries affected by Covid-19 are encouraged to use the sector closure as time to start new training courses.

There are fears that many parts of both industries will not reopen until the summer.

The Department of Higher Education has announced two new competency programs that include online courses designed to help the hospitality industry grow if it reopens.

The courses were organized by Solas and the Education and Training Boards in consultation with the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) and Fáilte Ireland.

The programs are designed to develop team leaders and oversight management skills.

Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris The online courses will help people educate themselves in areas such as customer care, financial control, digital skills, and health and safety.

He said the Covid-19 pandemic “caused havoc for everyone” and “it is fair to say that it has had an extremely negative impact on the hospitality and tourism sectors”.

Mr Harris suggested that it is an “opportune time” for the sector, which is effectively closed, to “plan the future and prepare for rebuilding and reopening”.

He said it makes sense to do this now because “people wouldn’t normally have that time in a very, very busy sector” and “an employer can’t usually tell their employee that he is going to go and do this training course should”. ”.

Mr. Harris said the courses would help “make sure the reopening comes and comes. . . that this sector can grow again ”.

He also said that through no fault of their own, workers in the industry had gotten into hard times and suggested that the courses might provide “purpose and focus”, that “things will be fine, that they will go back to work become”.

Minister of State for Competences Niall Collins said it was “a really exciting opportunity for people who have temporarily lost their jobs to learn new skills and prepare to return to their sectors”.

Elaina Fitzgerald KaneThe IHF President said, “Our main goals are to protect and restore livelihoods in our hotel, guest house and our wider tourism community across the country.

“These two hospitality training programs are very relevant and support the development of the leadership and management skills needed to recover and develop tourism Ireland sustainable. “