CHATA
CREATING ADEQUATE TRAINING AND JOB SECURITY IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY
CHATA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF CURAÇAO INTRODUCE: ‘READY FOR TOURISM’ In November 2019, Curaçao Hospitality & Tourism Association (CHATA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Development (MEO) and the Ministry of Social Development, Labour and Welfare (SOAW), announced the introduction of the project ‘Ready For Tourism’. This educational and continuous project is part of the Growth Strategy Project for Curaçao and provides the opportunity to 300 citizens to obtain adequate training and job security in the local tourism industry. WRITER: DESI DIJKHUIZEN
The companies involved in the program where the participants work and gain experience for 6 months are: Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, Corendon Mangrove Beach Resort, Papagayo Curaçao, Hemingway Restaurant, Nemo Restaurant, P ia z z a Restaurant, Chill Beach Bar & Grill, Kura Hulanda Lodge & Beach Club, Morena Resort Curaçao, AM Resort, Baoase Luxury Resort, Avila Beach Hotel, Curacao Marriott Beach Resort, and Livingstone Jan Thiel Resort. At this moment, due to the recent developments and impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), ‘Ready For Tourism’ has been postponed until further notice. Although these are uncertain times, it is still important to highlight the potential positive impact of this project and the recent developments of CHATA.
Despite the financial and social challenges Curaçao has been experiencing over the last couple of years, the island has made great improvements in the tourism sector compared to other economic sectors on the island. The tourism sector demonstrated resilience against outside shocks and has been able to steadily increase its prominence in our local economy. Curaçao’s tourism product has changed significantly over time with regard to the product portfolio, market segment mix, and the industry’s overall contribution to the economy. Consequently, this growing sector became a substantial source of employment on the island. “The tourism and hospitality industries have been experiencing rapid growth. For this matter, capable employees with willingness to work are very
much needed. This necessity and the social aspect of people in need of work, were essential factors for CHATA to start with the execution of the project ‘Ready For Tourism’, as part of a Public-Private Partnership between MEO, SOAW and the business industry” says Miles Mercera, CEO of CHATA. ‘Ready For Tourism’ focuses on enthusiastic adults that are motivated to work in tourism and the hospitality sector. The content of the program is on a basic level and the setup links with the education system ‘On the Job Learning’. This means that after admission, the participants start theory training, focusing on the practical part for a couple of weeks. In addition to having subjects with technical content, there will also be more general
CURAÇAO BUSINESS | EDITION 1 | 2020
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