BTB establishes training unit
Tourism may be one of Belize’s fastest growing industries, but one consequence of that growth is a shortage of skilled workers. One new initiative to close the gap is about to kick off. Jose Sanchez reports.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
The Belize Tourism Board has taken the initiative and earmarked two million dollars for a project designed to upgrade the professional skills of people involved in the trade. According to Dr. Vincent Palacio, of the newly formed Tourism Training Unit, they will organise the sporadic training that is currently offered by the tourism board into a more rational and focused programme.
Dr. Vincent Palacio, Tourism Training Unit.
“We will do the front end, the reception, supervisory, training, management level training, we will do from the taxis to the bartender, waiter, waitress, just about every sector of the industry will be touched in this tourism training initiative.”
The certification will be part of a package which will include instruction materials prepared and developed by Curriculum Specialist, Clara Pastor.
Clara Pastor, Curriculum Specialist, Tourism Training Unit
“Throughout the country those specific stakeholders would be getting the same kind of training. If you’re in Dangriga, you’re getting the same training like the person in Corozal. It’s going to be a package, a standardised package that will be taught to the same stakeholders, the same way and having the same content setting standards for certification.”
Dr. Vincent Palacio
“We will hire two district tourism trainers for each district and these persons will be at the specific site. A major complaint of the industry was access to training, people would have to come to the city from all parts of the country for specific training. This will no longer be the case. This Tourism Training Unit will train key people in the district, who will provide training at these different levels that we’re talking about. In some of the districts these people will be part time and in some that really need to catch, up we will have full time tourism traders.”
Reporting for News 5, Jose Sanchez.
The two million Belize dollar budget for the project will be covered by a one point four million dollars grant from the I.D.B. and six hundred thousand contributed by the Belize Tourism Board. The first task of the Training Unit will be a nation-wide assessment of exactly what skills are most needed and which parts of the country require the most help.
