Center combats skill shortages in hospitality and tourism

Macdonald Hotels has invested £700,000 in a new education and training center in the Scottish Highlands, to help to combat the growing skill shortage in the industry.

The Center of Applied Tourism and Hospitality Management (CATHM) has adopted the Swiss hotel-school model of applied learning. Its managing director, Dr Craig Thompson, trained some of the world’s upcoming hospitality managers during his five years as academic director of Swiss Education Group in Montreux,Switzerland’s largest provider of hospitality education.

CATHM currently caters for 24 students, but within three years up to 120 national and international students will be studying there.

It creates a new model for debt-free study. Students pay a fee at the start of their course, covering tuition, accommodation and food. This means that living costs are negligible. Paid internships are then built into each stage of the program, enabling students to graduate debt free and better prepared for professional life.

With the support of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the University of the Highlands, Swiss Education Group and Motherwell College, CATHM offers programs to external students and to Macdonald Hotels staff. The programs include the Higher National Certificates (HNC) in professional cookery and hospitality management, and diplomas, degrees and postgraduate qualifications in applied hospitality and applied tourism management.

There are currently more than 20,000 tourism vacancies waiting to be filled in the UK, and this is set to grow as the industry expands and the country prepares to host the 2012 Olympics.

Dr Thompson said: “Hospitality and tourism are crucial to the UK economy, employing nearly two million people – 7 percent of Britain’s workforce – and generating more than £70 billion annually. But still many students choose it as a last resort. The standard of graduates in the UK,particularly their work readiness and professionalism, is slipping further behind those from continental hotel schools, leading to dissatisfaction among employers.

“For some time the industry has recognized that the answer must come from inspirational education centers, backed by industry. I am delighted that Macdonald Hotels has taken a bold and innovative step with the formation of CATHM.”

The center is based at the Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort, an £80 million facility offering dedicated training resources in the beautiful surroundings of the Cairngorm National Park.

Dr Terry Stevens, international tourism consultant, said: “This is a fundamentally important initiative for the UK hospitality industry. For many years the industry has searched for a solution capable of competing with the type of training provided by the Swiss hotel-school model. This will place Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort at the heart of school development in the industry and reinforce the importance of Aviemore and the Cairngorms as a leading tourism destination.”

David Guile, deputy chief executive of Macdonald Hotels and Resorts, said:“As the first of its kind in the UK, CATHM offers unique learning experiences for people looking for a career in hospitality. As a leader in the market, we can offer students a wealth of knowledge and expertise and, just as importantly, the chance to gain hands-on skills through working in hotels across the country.”