Twenty seven students have graduated from an innovative and collaborative hospitality training and education programme designed to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds back into employment.
Called the Fast Track Partnership Programme, it is led by AccorHotels and provides hospitality industry training and employment opportunities for Work and Income clients aged 18 years and up.
“We’re really proud of the programme and those participants who graduated late August,” says AccorHotels New Zealand, Fiji & Polynesia senior vice president operations Gillian Millar.
“Delivering a programme like this not only demonstrates how collaboration between the public and private sector can work but more importantly it gives people in the communities in which we operate a pathway to employment,” Ms Millar says.
The programme ran in collaboration with AccorHotels, Ministry of Social Development, Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) and competitor hotels in Rotorua. Designed and led by AccorHotels the programme not only delivers skills based training, it also places emphasis on providing support, budgeting and creating bonds to ensure a more sustainable outcome.
“Congratulations to all the graduates. Their stories are inspiring and I’m pleased that most will start jobs in the hotel and tourism industry this month,” says Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni.
“This programme is effective and proof that when MSD clients are given quality industry training, with companies like AccorHotels; the opportunities are limitless,” Ms Sepuloni says.
Tourism Industry Aotearoa Hotel Sector Manager Sally Attfield says TIA has strongly supported the Fast Track Partnership Programme and encouraged the wider Rotorua hotel sector to participate.
“This is an excellent collaboration between the public and private sectors to provide opportunities for New Zealanders to get both training and a job in New Zealand’s fast-growing hotel sector. Hotels offer an extensive range of quality career opportunities and we’ve been delighted with the success of the trainees to date,” Ms Attfield says.
Now in its second year, the Fast Track Partnership Programme will run in Rotorua again in October. In September it will be extended to Christchurch with new hotel partners.
