Investing in tourism and hospitality education that works

MANILA, Philippines - Investing in education should be treated in the same manner as embarking on a new business venture. It is when personal gratification derived from the exercise is just one factor to consider. After all, doing things for the soul is a luxury that only the privileged can always afford. For the majority who look forward to earning a living from the training they get in school, an education in the hospitality industry is attractive because of current employment opportunities. However, the cost and length of education should be carefully weighed vis-a-vis income potential.

“Asia is experiencing a tourism boom and continues to grow,” confirms business leader Samie Lim. This is his rationale for putting up the Canadian Tourism and Hospitality Institute (CTHI) in Mandaluyong City. “A world-class hospitality industry is expected of us, and we envision that in 10 years, Filipinos will be the top executives of choice in the fields of travel, tourism and hospitality.”

What distinguishes CTHI from local institutions, however, is that it has partnered with the Canadian Tourism College (CTC), an established facility with campuses in Vancouver and Surrey in Canada. The college has been recognized as a leader in training tourism and hospitality professionals, and its tested modules will be employed by CTHI.

“We work closely with the industry to ensure that our graduates have the skills and training necessary in their career path,” says Gwen Donaldson, CTC Vancouver campus president, who was in Manila for the opening of CHTI. “Our instructors are industry professionals who can help answer any specific questions that you may have. We understand the importance of finding the best educational environment for you to pursue your career goals and we take pride in providing everyone with the education required to make a well-informed decision.”  She mentions that the school is able to offer job placement assistance for students with its extensive network of contacts in the industry, so that CTC is now a multi-awarded and globally recognized leader in the field.

 “We feel we can offer something unique,” continues Donaldson, who points out that CTC’s particular dedication to training excellence has paid off with graduates’ employment rates that consistently exceed 90 percent. She expects that the same high standard of training will be implemented locally at CTHI. “Filipinos are very service-oriented. Because they see the need for expediency to go beyond customer service, the Filipino tourism professional is one of the best in the world.”   

“The goal is to create more quality jobs for our people and to improve the overall competitiveness of the Philippine tourism industry,” says CTHI president Samie Lim.

While the goal of CTHI is to provide the local industry with a continuous supply of highly trained hospitality staff, Filipinos hoping to find employment abroad will find certain advantages by studying in CTC’s local affiliate. The school offers a variety of diploma courses, certificate courses and professional development programs, and the good news is that tuition fees at CTHI are considerably lower than the prevailing cost of a similar kind of education. In addition, Samie Lim mentions that scholarships will be available to deserving students. His objective is that scholars will eventually comprise 10 percent of the student population.

But even in this educational venture, the reputation of Samie Lim as the “father of Philippine franchising” holds true. His vision is to franchise the CHTI brand so that world-class education becomes more affordable and accessible to students in key cities of the country. “The end goal is to create more quality jobs for our people and to improve the overall competitiveness of the Philippine tourism industry,” he says.