by Linda Straker
- MOU signed on Thursday 14 March 2019 between Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association and TA Marryshow Community College.
- MOU to ensure quality human resources to fill positions in the tourism sector
Providing advice and industry feedback on the relevance and quality of the curriculum and programmes and help the Tourism and Hospitality Department to adapt to industry needs, are among the objectives of a memorandum of understanding (MOU), signed between the Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association (GHTA) and the TA Marryshow Community College.
Signed on Thursday 14 March 2019, the MOU represents a formalisation of the relationship between the parties over the past few years aimed at ensuring that quality human resources are prepared to fill positions in the growing tourism sector.
“Basically what we looking at is allowing the GHTA to have some influence on the sort of standard and influence we need in the industry and having a relationship between the two of us so we can discuss where the weaknesses are, where the strengthens are,” said Russ Fielden, GHTA Board members who also serves as a director on the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA).
“Coming from this we expected the acquisition of knowledge that will transcend into the competences of our students to them becoming world-class hospitality and tourism workers that will fit the high end positions at hotels in Grenada and hotels throughout the region,” said Acting Principal of the TAMCC David Fleming who inked the MOU in the presence of tourism officials and teachers at the institution’s hospitality department.
Kirl Hoschtialek, Chairman of the TAMCC’s Hospitality and Tourism Department described the MOU as a distinctive step to securing Grenada’s tourism economy. “It is ensuring we have a defined road map planned, so we can collectively achieve the different deliverables that we need too,” she said.
According to the MOU, the GHTA is expected to advocate government and other relevant parties to collaborate with the College Council, to secure relevant support and approvals for the Tourism and Hospitality Department and promote the programmes of the Tourism and Hospitality Department when speaking at student, community or industry events.
The association will also identify potential partners and offer recommendations for collaboration for the provision of applied learning experiences and research; provide guest lectures to students on topics of mutual interest, to assist with their readiness for employment in industry and provide apprenticeships, internships and job placement opportunities.
The 5-year MOU requires that TAMCC invite the GHTA to designate representatives to serve on the Advisory Committee of the Tourism and Hospitality Department; seek guidance in the development and offering of new training programmes and Identify potential partners and offer recommendations for collaboration for the provision of applied learning experiences and research.
The college which graduates more than 700 annually in all of the programmes, will also have to identify topics/areas of mutual interest and invite members to provide guest lectures, host site visits, and participate in other training initiatives to assist with students’ readiness for employment in industry; consult with the GHTA in identifying areas for training and certification for existing staff and offer training/short courses in collaboration with the GHTA in specific areas of interest for existing staff, at times mutually convenient to both parties.
