Public-Private Partnership to Strengthen Tourism Economy

Jamaica has announced a substantial investment in its tourism sector with the launch of a free online training program for tourism workers affected by the negative impact of COVID-19. The Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) in partnership with highly-respected American trade associations, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), as well as Jamaica’s Human Employment and Resource Training-National Service Training Agency (HEART-NSTA Trust) will deliver online training and certification courses.

With global travel coming to a halt during the COVID-19 crisis, approximately 75 percent of Jamaica’s tourist sector has become unemployed. While most of these tourism workers will be reemployed in a few months, Jamaica is putting the resources in place to fortify the industry for a strong economic future.

“The Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world and tourism accounts for nearly 11 percent of global GDP. In the case of Jamaica, we are very proud that the program has been so well-received by our hospitality workers. There is no better time than now for them to retool and upskill,” said Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett. “It is a smart investment in staying resilient, which will pay handsome dividends when the tourism sector returns to normal. It is a demonstration of the importance of the Government’s Human Capital Development strategy.”

Over 6,500 users have registered since the program launched last week. Classes began on April 27th and the 11 free online courses are aimed to hone tourism workers’ skills and improve their qualifications.  The courses are as follows: Laundry Attendant, Guest Room Attendant, Kitchen Steward Porter, ServSafe Training in Food Safety, Certified Hospitality Supervisor, Introduction to Spanish, Public Area Sanitation, Hospitality Team Leader, Certified Banquet Server, Certified Restaurant Server, and DJ Certification.

All courses will include certification examinations and successful candidates will receive certificates from certifying institutions, including the National Restaurant Association, the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute or HEART Trust/NSTA.

For more information, please visit: https://tef.gov.jm/jamaica-centre-of-tourism-innovation/.

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash