The Hospitality Industry Practice Guide is a project carried out by Premier Hospitality and the "Edu4Tourism" Association with the support of the Romanian Hotel Industry Federation (FIHR), and was recently launched at Novotel Bucharest City Center. The guide represents an important step in the teacher-hotelier relationship, a natural establishment of the teacher's role as an initiator and supporter of scientific knowledge in the field of tourism education. "We want the tourism teacher to be considered part of the tourism industry, to be valued and supported by the industry, to be recognized as a starting point in the training of future tourism professionals," said the project initiators.
"We will never have the society we dream of if we do not invest in education. We will not have the tourism we want, the services we expect in tourism and in any other field if we do not take care of the most important period of preparation for life of young people. Practice is essential in their training as people and professionals. Through this guide, we try to approach the internship in a different way, in a structured version that comes from an extensive process of consultation of all parties involved. We are convinced that the results will not be long in coming and we will all enjoy them soon. Because it is not so, we can say, quoting Nelson Mandela, that <>", said Călin Ile, FIHR President.
At the launch event of "Hospitality Industry Practice Guide" The following speakers took the floor:
Also, the event was attended by representatives of ISMB (Ms. Nicoleta Negoianu and Ms. Irina Rat – School Inspectors for Vocational and Technical Education), CNDIPT (National Center for the Development of Vocational and Technical Education) – Ms. Ancuța Ciobanu – Inspector Speciality Coordinator Bucharest Ilfov, teachers and members of the Edu4Tourism association, students who are doing or have completed internships in accommodation units, mass media, hoteliers who are members of FIHR.
"Starting from what Malcolm Forbes said, "The purpose of education is to change an empty mind to an open one", this guide was created as a first step in our attempt to build a solid and fair relationship between parents, school and hotels / economic agents. Each party involved must understand the importance of education even if it comes with a cost. Let's see this cost as an investment and support educational processes. Out of the natural desire to contribute to the normalization of the teacher - economic operator relationship, out of passion for tourism education, but especially out of the need to establish the role, purpose and status of the tourism teacher, I considered it a necessity to get involved in creating the Hospitality Industry Practice Guide. The idea circulated in almost all environments that we educate and then learn, the objective of the school being the creation of skills, not the accumulation of knowledge, is not found in the teacher-professional relationship in tourism, two worlds that see education in tourism differently, but have a single goal: knowledge and competence for students of tourism high schools. The teacher and the economic operator involved in the development of practical training internships for students should not be seen as two distinct camps, but as two united teams, which contribute to the education process, with a well-established role: the teacher to create interest in knowledge and build the scientific space, and the specialist to transmit and transfer to the student, with pedagogical tact, competence and passion for the profession", mentioned Rocsana Borda, Practical Guide Project Coordinator and FIHR affiliated member.
"I emphasize the importance of the internship curriculum, as the main experiential link between school and the tourism industry, an element that must be innovative and create an interdisciplinary perspective, the one that outlines the essence of passion for tourism jobs. That is why I believe that the guide will be a useful tool for the academic environment, tourism professionals, students and parents because combining practice and theory in an integrated manner contributes to ensuring the quality of education in the field of tourism, promoting employment opportunities, increasing recognition of the importance of tourism for the economic development of the country. Each of us feels the pressure of the lack of labor force in one way or another. Fewer and fewer students choose to pursue a career in tourism in Romania, preferring to go to another country or choose other fields of activity. Perhaps some are influenced by the general opinion that the Hospitality Industry does not offer many development opportunities. The purpose of this guide is to provide an overview of what good practice in HR and practice in tourism units means”, added Prof. Ec. Dr. Larisa Ile, President of "Edu4Tourism" (Association of Teachers and Mentors in Tourism).
The guide aims to:
“As an entrepreneur, I can assure you that the best long-term investment is in education. Education for future generations is a benefit for all of us, and investing in one's own education is one that will never depreciate and is perhaps the most important asset of each of us. I see this project as a necessary step in preparing future colleagues in the hotel industry, while at the same time being a practical tool for those who guide the steps of pupils and students: teachers and practice tutors in hotel units. I also believe that we cannot talk about our future in the hospitality industry without being directly involved in building it”, said Marius Băzăvan, Member of the FIHR Steering Committee and Coordinator of the FIHR Education Working Group.
The guide can be downloaded from this link: education-hotel.ro
