Labour minister inaugurates revamped hospitality training institute in Marka

AMMAN — Students at the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Training say they hope the skills they are learning will qualify them to join the labour market. 

On the sidelines of an inauguration ceremony for the revamped Marka-based institute, The Jordan Times interviewed some trainees, attending different hospitality and tourism courses at the centre, who said the institute has provided them with essential skills.

Mohammad Faraj said he heard about the institute’s programmes through a relative, and later registered to join the facility’s assistant Arab cuisine chef course.

“The course helped me to know how to deal with all the kitchenware and acquainted me with public safety measures necessary inside the kitchen,” noted Faraj, who is expected to graduate from the three-month course on October 31.

At the end of the training, graduates sit for theoretical and practical exams, where trainers assess them before students move to work in hospitals and five-star hotels, he added.

The Labour Ministry — through the Employment-Technical and Vocational Education Training Fund — and USAID Jordan cooperated in renovating the institute, which aims to offer training for students to the highest international standards.

The project was implemented as part of the US agency’s $40 million Workforce Development Project, launched in 2015, which seeks to provide 25,000 new jobs, or improve the conditions of those already employed, over a five-year period.

Majd Jarrah, 20, said she registered in the front desk programme, where she receives training on reception skills and how to deal with guests at tourist facilities. 

The programme, which started one week ago, also includes tips on how to deal with “nervous guests”, and provide them with the best level of service, she added.

“The course lasts for one year, divided into six months at the institute and another six months in the field, where we should apply the skills we gained during the training,” Jarrah explained, noting that she joined the programme to develop her character and acquire communication skills.

At the ceremony, Labour Minister Ali Ghezawi and USAID Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator Charles North, accompanied by other officials, toured the institute and had a first-hand look at its renovated sections.

In a speech, Ghezawi said that developing an institute specialised in hospitality training, in cooperation with the private sector, enables the Vocational Training Corporation (VTC) to increase the number of trainees and develop the training of trainers, to provide the labour market with a qualified workforce.

“All indicators show that the tourism sector is among the most important contributors to the national economy, and that developing tourism should include improving the level of services and products, so as to give tourists a comprehensive experience,” the minister highlighted.

In this regard, Ghezawi, who is also VTC chairman, noted that tourism in 2015 provided the national economy with JD2.89 billion.

He added that the tourism sector employs around 50,000 people, only 8,581 of whom are not Jordanians, and females constitute no more than 10 per cent of the total, which means there is an opportunity to increase the Jordanian workforce and women’s participation in the sector.

North said the renovated institute is important for the industry, especially as it will create a new generation of workers who are equipped with the necessary skills to boost the sector.

“The skills acquired by this institute’s graduates will match the growing demand for well-trained food service and hospitality specialists,” he added.

At the end of the ceremony, USAID and Americana Jordan signed a memorandum of understanding, under which the latter will provide the institute’s graduates with practical training at its restaurants.