More certified professionals for hospitality industry
— Carnegie School of Home Economics launches three new courses
DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Guyana’s tourism and hospitality sector can expect a boost in the quality of services provided as the Carnegie School of Home Economics (CSHE), on Tuesday, launched three new programmes.
Care for the Elderly, Childcare Management and Housekeeping are now available on CSHE’s curriculum as programmes offered to full-time and evening students.
Myrna Lee, the Principal of the CSHE, explained that for schools to improve, school personnel need to function as a professional learning community. “One of the most important factors that influence student achievement is developing a guaranteed viable curriculum,” she said.
The integration of these programmes into the curriculum will allow for trained caregivers, childcare workers and other viable careers in the service industry.
According to the Director of the Council for Technical, Vocation Education and Training (CTVET) Floyd Scott, with the rapid pace of growth of Guyana’s hospitality sector, the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the CTVET and CSHE has responded to the dire need for professionalism and certification in the industry.
“[These programmes] signal the intent of Carnegie to provide the type of service that is critical to the service industry especially as we go forward,” Scott added.
The newly implemented programmes are the brainchild of the CTVET, Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), CSHE and received a kickstart following the recognition of the lack of certified skill in the industry. This was identified during a meeting with representatives of the Council for Human and Social Development {COHSOD], an organ of the Caribbean Community [CARICOM].
Re-emphasising that Guyana must be positioned to provide those skills at the requisite levels, representative of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) said that with the emergence of the Petroleum industry and its relation to our economy, tourism is being viewed as a new frontier towards development.
“Tourism is going to create a stepping stone for our populace… our services must reflect the need of the society,” he remarked.
Natasha Singh-Lewis, the Project Coordinator (ag) of the Department of Social Cohesion spoke of the relevance of childcare and care for the elderly to the hospitality industry explaining that it is at the core of our founding principles. She added that hospitality has been a strong point in Guyana. With newly established training and certification, Guyana will see unprecedented levels of growth in the sector, allowing for more professionalism, and trust in the industry, particularly childcare.
The programmes have their origin in CSHE’s Core Discipline: ‘Household Management’ a multidisciplinary based curriculum that encompasses a wide variety of specialist skills which fulfil many job descriptions, especially in the caregiving and hospitality industry.
Students who elect to do any of the three new programmes as an option in their second year have the advantage of packaging their skills to work in education, caregiving and hospitality disciplines.