International Hotel School may be opened in September
Stabroek News
May 12, 2002
Guyana's first International Hotel School may open its doors to students as early as September, following an announcement by principal of the Carnegie School of Home Economics, Roxanne Benjamin-Hoppie. Speaking at a media briefing recently, Benjamin-Hoppie told a small gathering that the project was conceived out of the need for a hotel/hospitality school in Guyana. The institution, which pioneered the start of home economics education in Guyana, has provided 69 years of training persons to perform roles in the hospitality industry, which according to Benjamin-Hoppie, has placed it in a strategic position to perform the role of creating and sustaining a full hotel school programme. Though she was supremely confident of the administration being adequately qualified to carry out the mandate, she alluded to essential training to assist staff in being competent in the delivery of the expected programme. However, she noted that the staff had already acquired the professional qualifications that would make the transition to the hotel school programme very easy.
The programme to be offered, she revealed, will allow for exemption from the hospitality programmes at the University of Guyana and other universities. Finance Banking, Hotel Engineering, Marketing, Tourism and Food Preparation and Service are just some of the courses which will be offered in the two-year programme. The main difference in the university and Carnegie programmes, will be the latter's traditional focus on food preparation and hospitality.
She did caution that the staff, which would need strengthening, was challenged by offers overseas and in other areas outside Carnegie. She therefore concluded that in order to retain staff, there would be need supplementary assistance to their salary. She mentioned housing assistance, transportation assistance, health benefits and uniform allowance as some proposals, which would be considered. While maintaining that the institution did have the basic infrastructure necessary for the creation of a hotel school, Benjamin-Hoppie was clear that the infrastructure would have to be built upon. She listed new equipment and extensive renovation of existing facilities to meet international hotel standards, as some of the needs, which would ensure the efficacy of the programme. She even mentioned the need for a change in the name of the institution as a possibility.
The institution has $4 million, which was allotted under the capital budget and an additional sum, which was allocated to the recurrent budget. Persons willing to support the venture could have these details made available to them.
Meanwhile, Volunteer Advisor from the Canadian Executive Service Organisation, Ian T. Mackay, will be providing technical support in the designing of the school, along with retired chef Marcelle Henry. Noting that home economics was the origin for hotel and tourism courses all over the world, Mackay was of the opinion that the institution would provide a working base for the creation of the school. However he explained that there was need to "bring the facility up to international standards for the students." Government, the Ministry of Education, and the private sector would have to be aggressive and agree on coherent policy, he said, adding that none of them alone could succeed on their own. Mackay assured the support of the Canada and the CESO, stating, "Canada will support in the future when specific needs exist, you can go back to the well and the needs will be met."
Asked who would be the chief beneficiary of the programme, Benjamin-Hoppie said she was certain that it would be the government and the tourism industry, noting that the persons they would like to see in the industry would be trained there at the international standard they expect. Current students of the institution would also be beneficiaries, receiving upgraded training at international standards.
Since making the initial announcement, Benjamin-Hoppie has informed Stabroek News that response has been very good. She explained that she is now engaged in a series of weekly meetings with representatives of the private sector and the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana.