Emaar tackles skilled worker shortage

Emaar Education is attempting to combat the lack of trained staff in the rapidly expanding leisure and service industries in the Gulf with the creation of a hospitality school in Dubai.

Set to open in September at the Raffles Campus School of Hospitality in Umm Sequim, chief executive officer of Emaar Education Boon Yew Ng, explained the importance of having the school in the Gulf region.

"The leisure industry in the Gulf region has already consolidated its international status and to drive this forward, it is important to have world-class professionals in the workforce.

"Emaar Education's dedicated hospitality training school will groom students to meet the diverse challenges of the hospitality and leisure industry, thus adding to the quality of products and services offered by the leisure sector," he said.

The Raffles Campus School of Hospitality will allow 1500 students to take hospitality management programmes in collaboration with Australia's Box Hill Institute on a full- or part-time basis.

The programmes will cater to the entire spectrum of the hospitality industry including recreational clubs, hotels, service apartments, specialised marina clubs and golf courses.

But Ng stressed the training would have particular modules aimed solely at the leisure industry: "Specific modules that address the leisure and entertainment sector are being planned. These will be customised to meet the requirements of the region - especially with respect to equipping the students for a cosmopolitan clientele."

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And in order to cement the students' ability to deal with 'cosmopolitan clientele' there will be opportunities to study abroad during the programme.

"Students will also have the opportunity of working in culturally diverse environments - a critical aspect of hospitality management - by undertaking part of the programme in overseas campuses. This will be an enriching experience for students, who can add value to the leisure sector by bringing in global best practices," Ng stated.

One of the main reasons that Emaar Education was focused on developing the school was because of the speed in which the hospitality sector was developing in the GCC, according to Ng.

"Skills, competency-based education and training is a key focus of Emaar Education and the hospitality sector is one of the fastest growing business sectors in the region, evolving in tune with the impressive growth of tourism that has been witnessed."

"It is important to build a skilled and competent workforce for the industry. The Raffles Campus School of Hospitality will train and equip students with the industry best practices, and create a talent pool of professionals for the hospitality sector," he concluded.