Hotel Training Initiative

The Hotel Training Initiative (HTI Component) is one of the components of the Vocational Skills Development Program (VSDP) imple-mented by Swisscontact in Myanmar. The Program is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

The HTI Component’s objective is to facilitate an increase in skilled persons in the hospitality sector in Myanmar. It will train about 3,000 persons from disadvantaged backgrounds in selected hospitality occupations, coordinating with leading hotels in Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, Bagan and Mandalay as well as with the relevant industry associations in the sector. The first main phase of the VSDP started in September 2014 and lasts until January 2018. The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism fully supports the HTI component and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Swisscontact in February 2015 for its implementation.

Component HighlightsIn order to fulfil its objective, the HTI Component has established a Training of Trainers (ToT) system. To begin, a team of highly qualified hospitality professionals were trained as Master Instructors in Swiss Hospitality for nearly one year. In 2017, these Master Instructors will be appointed to manage hospitality courses in three partner hotels each. These hotels are located in Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, Bagan and Mandalay. They have been carefully selected according to their characteristics and needs. Within the premises of these hotels, the Master Instructors will train up to six supervisors per hotel, two from each of the following three departments: Front Office, Food & Beverage Service and Housekeeping. These supervisors will then be responsible for training small groups of hotel line staff as well as persons from disadvantaged backgrounds (called Learners) in three occupations: bell service, waiting staff and room attendant. Graduates who successfully complete the hospitality courses and continue working in the same occupation for more than 6 months are given the opportunity to have their skills certified by the National Skills Standards Authority. All training courses provided are free of charge for the participants. The Learners receive a daily allowance and a tailor-made waistcoat which helps them to be easily identified. Once Learners have graduated, the Master Instructors will assist them to create linkages with potential employers in the hospitality sector.

2017 Fact Sheet

Master Instructor Course: This highly competitive course enabled qualified Myanmar hospitality professionals to become Master Instructors in Swiss Hospitality and took nearly one year to complete.

Preparatory Courses: These courses are delivered by the Master Instructors over 5 days prior to the hospitality courses. This training takes place in the Learners’ respective townships in order to equip them with appropriate life skills, such as personal hygiene, occupational health and safety, intercultural communication and basic concepts of hospitality and tourism.

Hospitality Instructors Courses: These courses target supervisory staff from selected hotels in Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, Bagan and Mandalay. Once the supervisory staff has received a six-week long Training of Trainers course, they will be sufficiently equipped to train small groups of hotel line staff and Learners.

Hospitality Courses: These courses are provided by the partner hotels' supervisory staff. The courses last seven weeks and focus on developing the necessary skills to perform three occupations; waiting staff, bell service and room attendant. The practical nature of these courses is best described as 'learning by doing' and 'on the job training'.

Master Instructors

Hospitality Instrutors

Learners

The HTI Component offers training on three different occupations that are demanded in the hospitality business. These are:

Bell Service Waiting StaffRoom Attendant

Cascading Model

Types of occupations

Our Partners

The HTI Component is collaborating with 3 and 4-star partner hotels to implement the courses. The Component also works with local Non-Governmental Organisations, Civil Society Organisations and Community Based Organisations for the mobilisation of Learners in the selected townships. The HTI Component receives advice and support from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism (MoHT), as well as key tourism-related associations under the Myanmar Tourism Federation (MTF).

Our 10 Master Instructors are the pillar of HTI. Between 2015 to 2016, they have trained collectively 269 Hospitality Instructors. These 10 Master Instructors are assigned to work in our selected locations as shown in the diagram.

Batches four, five and six of the Hospitality Courses conducted in 2016 yielded 1,095 Learners and line staff trained, as shown in the following table.

More than half of the Learners trained between 2015 and 2016 found employment in the respective hospitality occupations. One of the tools that the HTI used to assist Learners’ work placement is the Facebook page “Hospitality Vacancies Myanmar” which currently has more than 14,000 members.

Bagan

Nay Pyi Taw

Mandalay

Yangon

Our Master Instructors

Results up to 2016

Our 10 Master Instructors are the pillar of HTI. Between 2015 to 2016, they have trained collectively 269HospitalityInstructors.These10MasterInstructorsareassignedtoworkinourselectedlocationsasshowninthediagram.

Batchesfour,fiveandsixoftheHospitalityCoursesconductedyielded1,095Learnersandlinestafftrained,asshowninthefollowingtable.

More than half of the Learners trained between 2015 and 2016 found employment in the respective hospitalityoccupations.OneofthetoolsthattheHTIusedtoassistLearners’workplacementistheFacebookpage“HospitalityVacanciesMyanmar”whichcurrentlyhasmorethan14,000members.

292 278 282 309 312 30486 80 77 119 115 101

292

570

852

1161

1473

1777

86 166 243362

477 578

0

500

1000

1500

2000

Batch1 Batch2 Batch3 Batch4 Batch5 Batch6

No.ofParticipants

Learners LineStaff TotalLearners TotalLineStaff

2,355Graduates (1,777Learners+578Linestaff)

OurMasterInstructors

Mandalay

Bagan

NayPyiTaw Yangon

Resultsupto2016

SwisscontactSwiss Foundation for Technical CooperationNo.3J, Min Kyaung Street, Ward 3, Kyaik Waing Pagoda Road, Mayangone Township, Yangon 11062, MyanmarWebsite: www.swisscontact.org l Email: inquiries-myanmar@swisscontact.org

What our beneficiaries say about HTI …“The lessons we learned at the hospitality courses gave me the skills I needed to perform this job and my experience working part-time at banquets built my skills even further. I am very satisfied with this job, as I am working in a hospitable and respectable environment.”Mg Kyaw Kyaw Moe, Supervisor, Food and Beverage Department, Silver Green Hotel, Yangon

“I learnt about management skills and communications, including the feedback approach, which led me to undertake my current role as Operations Manager. I believe that the training, together with my tireless efforts, has led me to a better career and income.”Daw Thinzar Myint, Operations Manager, RGN City Lodge Hotel, Yangon

Key events in 2016

Activity Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Hospitality Instructors Course

7th Batch of Hospitality Courses

8th Batch of Hospitality Courses

9th Batch of Hospitality Courses

Before the Learners are sent to the partner hotels to attend the Hospitality Courses, they are trained in soft skills at their respective townships for five days, in what is called ‘Preparatory Courses’.

Work Plan for 2017

A Graduation Ceremony and Job Fair was held at the Melia Hotel in Yangon on the 10th of September 2016. H.E. U Ohn Maung, Union Minister for Ministry of Hotel and Tourism, concerned officials from SDC and industry stakeholders attended the ceremony.

A Knowledge Sharing Workshop and Graduation Ceremony for the Hospitality Instructors was held at the Bay of Bengal Resort in Ngwesaung Beach from 30th of September to 2nd of October 2016. Over 100 Hospitality Instructors attended this workshop and shared their training and learning experiences.

A Graduation Ceremony and Job Fair for Hospitality Course batches four, five and six was held at the Mingalar Thiri Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw on the 29th of October 2016. H.E. U Yee Mon, Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Hotel and Tourism attended the Ceremony and handed over the certificates to the Graduates.