Dream becomes a reality as first of its kind hotel school opens

It has been a dream for a long time, but the Peermont Hotel School recently became a reality.

The school has opened its doors and is currently hard at work training its first 72 students.

The students will be trained either as chefs, in housekeeping or as waiters.

Over the next three year the school is set to train 1 080 students and set them on their chosen career paths.

There are many challenges that face the youth of South Africa, however, education and unemployment are two of the most concerning.

In an effort to make a positive contribution to tourism development, the Peermont Community Benefit Trust (PCBT), in association with service provider Celo, identified an opportunity to establish the Peermont Hotel School.

Supported by the Ekurhuleni Metro, the school offers skills-based training that gives young individuals the necessary platform and opportunity to start a career in the hospitality industry.

“The hospitality sector remains one of the fastest growing sectors in the economy,” said Vusi Zwane, a PCBT trustee.

“With that in mind, the Peermont Hotel School empowers the community through education and development, ultimately grooming our future hospitality leaders.”

Celo, hospitality specialists in events, training and consulting, have been appointed by the PCBT to establish the school and manage the delivery of the training programmes.

“The method of delivery and type of training will ensure transfer of skills and creation of jobs and, in so doing, contribute towards poverty alleviation,” said Jeanne Visagie, of Celo.

Located at Emperors Palace, the school offers skills proficiency certificates to chefs, waiters and housekeepers.

All students are contracted on a 12-month basis and, over-and-above the bursary, receive a stipend from the metro.

They will spend two months at the school, two months at Emperors Palace and a further eight months with hospitality industry partners, for practical experience.

These underprivileged individuals, especially those from child-headed households and vulnerable youth, will enjoy access to the marketplace.

The duration of the qualification supports the students in becoming employable and to earn an income to support their families.

There are a number of factors that make the Peermont Hotel School different from other hotel schools.

The most notable is that the school was founded through a need that existed for basic skills in the hospitality industry.

The school’s objective is to focus on the fundamentals of the various disciplines and to lay a solid foundation for the students’ careers.

Together with industry professionals, the skills outcomes were first identified and packaged in a custom-designed programme, before considering the existing qualification platforms.

The hospitality industry is very demanding and requires sacrifice and discipline to succeed.

With work ethic and values in mind, the programmes were structured in such a way that they represent conditions faced in the workplace.

Lastly, most hotel schools are run as profit centres and are, therefore, subject to tuition fees.

Tuition fees are, in many cases, the main reason why potential students are unable to pursue their dreams of a career in hospitality.

At the Peermont Hotel School, the selected students study on a full bursary.

“Over and above the skills and procedures required in the hospitality industry, the training is based on a value system that will provide students with much-needed life skills for the future.

“Entrepreneurial ethics are also included, to ensure that they have the correct foundation to take their future into their own hands”, said Zwane.

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