Maureen Okpe
The Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, has embarked on a capacity building programme towards educating young persons about existing career opportunities in the hospitality industry.
The annual training in collaboration with ACE Charity (NGO), tagged ‘Career@Hilton Hospitality Programme’ with theme ‘Find Your Thing,’ which lasted for two weeks with about 15 interns has been described as an enlightening career event organised by the hotel in Abuja.
According to the Director, Human Resources Transcorp Hilton, Olakunle Olorunnisola said, the mentorship program is part of the hotels concerted effort to educate people who know nothing about the hospitality industry to open them to the different sectors in the industry.
Olorunnisola stated, “this is because a hotel is is a one stop shop for everything. We have different sections, accounts, human resources, sales, PR, laundry, kitchen, and more, most of what people see when they come into the hotel, is the waiter and sometimes the chef because of their uniforms.
“What they know about hospitality is just what they see in front. So with this, it actually opens them up to see what they can do if they decide to join the hospitality industry.
“Bringing them into the system, they understand that there are people at the back end, who ensure the smooth running of operations and which is a career they can pursue.
The Director admonished the trainees to make this count, by making important connections that will enhance the foundation laid for them and make the best use of it.
On her part, the E-Commerce Manager, Public Relations and Marketing Department Transcorp Hilton, Ijeoma Osuji, reiterated that, the programme was created for youth in the society who have no knowledge or the faintest idea as to the careers that exist in hospitality, to have an understanding of what career path they can undertake.
“It is believed that the hotel industry, depending on the carrier you have or your qualification, you may not fit. The essence of this program was to make them understand that irrespective of what you graduate with from school, or whatever your qualification is, there is a career path that you can grow.
“The team members in the accounts departments are all ICAN certified, so also there are qualified persons in other department.Most people just feel those working in hospitality sector are the low classes of qualification like the school cert, that is why we create this vision to make people understand that whatever study, you have a place in the hospitality industry.
Also, Senior Programmes Officer ACE Charity, Hasana Shaibu maintained that the main focus was youth empowerment, adding the collaboration was to aid young graduate improve their work employability.
Shaibu noted that, “this is an opportunity for them to gain that work experience, to prepare them for the future and future career.
“They say the youth are future leaders of tomorrow when they actually the leaders of now, if the youth do not grow, Nigeria is not going to grow, our economy will not grow. So we need young people who are independent, self sufficient, who can be gainfully employed, and should be employable so that they can contribute to the growth of the country.
One of the interns, Gloria Fatinikun who won the award for the most outstanding trainee was offered employment to work at the Hilton, while expressing her gratitude disclosed that “I actually did not see this coming.”
Fatinikun advised that, the youth should not joke with opportunities, “start first and give it your all,because you don’t know what might come out of it.”
Highlight of the event was the presentation of certificates to the trainees.