26 Jordanian hotels take part in tourism training programme

AMMAN — Hotel and tourism sector stakeholders on Wednesday came together to celebrate the expansion of the Pathways to Professionalism programme and the graduation of 123 workers at Jordanian hotels, under the patronage of Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Lina Annab, a USAID statement said. 

Le Royal Amman and Century Park Hotel Amman officially joined the programme during the ceremony, bringing the total number of participating hotels to 26 in Amman, the Dead Sea, Petra and Aqaba.

 Pathways to Professionalism is a vocational training programme that offers on-the-job training for employees of Jordan’s hotels to help meet the growing demand for qualified workers, according to the statement. 

The program was launched in 2016 as a joint effort between the hotels sector, the USAID Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism project, the Ministry of Tourism and the Vocational Training Corporation. 

The programme currently provides training in food production, food and beverage services and housekeeping, with other professions and levels to be added soon, the statement read.

Chairman of the Pathways to Professionalism Advisory Committee and Regional Director of Movenpick Hotels in Jordan Michael Nugent stated: “This is a significant milestone for Jordan’s hospitality industry, as we welcome new hotels and celebrate the programme’s fourth batch of graduates, which brings the total number of graduates under Pathways to more than 270 nationwide and those registered to around 600.” 

For her part, Annab said, “Jordan’s hotels and tourism sector at large will benefit tremendously from this programme, as hotel service standards improve as a result of a more qualified workforce.” 

She congratulated all graduates, saying “I’m so proud of each one of you and the effort you have put in to develop your skills and contribute to industry-wide development and help present an even better impression of Jordan”.

Office Director of the Economic Development and Energy office at USAID Jordan Russell Bauer stated: “This programme comes at a time when Jordan’s hospitality sector is growing at a rapid pace and will create 20,000 additional jobs by 2020. There is an imminent need for qualified individuals trained in hospitality specialties to fill these jobs, and the Pathways programme has risen to meet that need.”