Technical Vocational Education and Training in Hospitality

The training is based on the model of dual TVET, combining theoretical training, hands-on training, with a short workplace-based internship. Its strengths lie in the fact that

• Most of the youth who take part in the training have actually already been selected by the employers. In collaboration with the ROYAL ACADEMY OF CULINARY ARTS (RACA), employers take care of the recruitment process and commit to hire the selected individuals, under the condition they take part and complete the TVET successfully. This approach allows RACA to focus on its true expertise – training, while it can outsource the recruitment phase, thus reducing the project costs, ensuring strong involvement of future employers and strengthening the motivation of the youth to attend the training, having a job in prospect;
• RACA focuses on the sector it is specialized in, benefitting of its experience with the culinary Diploma program, of its well-equipped training premises and its employers’ network in the sector;
• The TVET will be recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and acknowledged by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities;
• The disadvantaged youth, while attending the courses and training premises, will be exposed to their counterparts of the BA or Diploma programs thanks to school-internal, extra-curriculum activities. As such, the TVET contributes unintentionally but quite effectively to more social inclusion between youth groups of different background.

The project is explicitly designed as a pilot project allowing RACA to test the model, gain new knowledge related to TVET-services and to invest in its own organisational development to include additional trainings and become the “market leader in the region for culinary education”.

Linking training to job placement, in line with employers’ demands, is key to the success of the training program. Moreover, as part of this project, job placements are actually aligned to concrete vacancies. After the training and internship, RACA will follow-up with employers to secure jobs for the graduates and continue monitoring them for a period of 3 months. RACA is planning to invest in networking and relationship management with major industry players, such as, hotel general managers, Jordan Hotel Association representatives, Jordan Restaurant Association representatives, Government officials to ensure private sector engagement when it comes to employment and support of authorities.

The project targets preferably unemployed, disadvantaged youth in Jordan as the employment rate among youth is very high, and support for host communities in countries with a high percentage of refugees is essential for stability and growth. Furthermore, by engaging more Jordanians in so-called low-skilled jobs, the project challenges deadlocked patterns that such jobs are carried out only by foreigners and refugees.

RESULTS

The project targets 120 unemployed disadvantaged youth, both genders, aged 18-30 years, from disadvantaged areas in and around Amman, who do not have the financial means nor the educational background to access available TVET programs in the hospitality & tourism sector.