With the aim of encouraging and empowering the youth of Sri Lanka in equipping themselves with the required skills and talent to take on as tomorrow’s leaders in the hospitality industry, the Swiss Hotel Management Academy Pvt. Ltd. (SHMA) of A. Baur & Co. Pvt Ltd., also known as Baurs, recently signed an MoU with the National Youth Corps of Sri Lanka (NYC).
NYC which comes under the purview of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs will now be a learning partner for the Skills for Sustainable Growth (SSG) project, a private and public sector partnership between Baurs and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the agency for international cooperation of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) of Switzerland.
NYC is the pioneering state training institution dedicated to youth development since 2002 with 58 training centers across the island, grooming and guiding the youth through its unique training modules, ranging from soft skills, academic, vocational, recreational to community based. Established in 2014, La Hotelier in Dambulla managed by NYC is a prestigious hotel school where several batches of graduates have gone onto being employed by leading hotels and restaurants in Sri Lanka.
The MoU was signed on 17th October at the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs’ auditorium. Representing SHMA and Baurs were Rolf Blaser, CEO/Managing Director; Pavithra Samarasinghe, Director Finance and Compliance; Daniela Munasinghe, GM of Education and Tourism, Sureeka Fernando, SHMA Manager; Cheryl Arndt, Project Leader. And from NYC, its Director Brig. Sujeewa Rathnayake, Add. Director Training and Development Saman Kulasuriya, Director Central Province Major. Ashoka Wijerathne, and Asst. Director Development Inoka Gunawardhana.
The event was graced by the Hon. Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, joined by the Deputy Head of Mission Olivier Praz and First Secretary, Migration Doris Manor from the Embassy of Switzerland in Sri Lanka.
The SSG project aims to create 2,240 skilled young men and women by 2025 including increased female participation in hospitality education to 40%, with a two-third of its curriculum weighing towards practical on-the-job training coupled with internships and possible extension in various hotels. SHMA will also be opening a total of eight SSG centers by the end of 2025
The project is aimed at aligning and deploying a Swiss Vocational Skills Development (VSD) curriculum that will contribute significantly to NYC, the hospitality sector and the overall economy. The diverse and experienced professionals at SHMA will facilitate the programme at NYC in producing competent and employable youth, whilst NYC continues to support the SSG project.
Daniela Munasinghe, GM of Education and Tourism revealed some eye-opening results through a recent survey conducted by SHMA. Mrs. Munasinghe said ‘‘92.3% of students received promotions either in their current employment or within a new organization, with over 75% of the students employed at 5-star establishments at present.’’
‘‘SHMA students have enjoyed a significant increase in their earning capacity following the completion of the VET by EHL programme. Half of the students whose earnings were below LKR 50,000 per month now earns above the LKR 100,000 salary scare, with 64% of those students taking home a salary of over LKR 200,000. We have also onboarded various hotels, and also has established partnerships with CIPM and Nestle,’’ she added.
SHMA is an education institute that facilitates high-class education at international standards, producing highly qualified hoteliers. The academy is also licensed to deliver the VET (Vocational Education Training) by EHL Professional Diploma program offering specialized tracks in Culinary, Food & Beverage, and Hotel Operations, which is provided by École hôtelière de Lausanne, a pioneer in hospitality education since 1893, with a global network of over 25,000 alumni representing more than 120 nationalities.
