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Aitken Spence Hotels invests heavily in hospitality training to aid industry

Premier hospitality company Aitken Spence Hotels together with TUI Care Foundation inaugurated its first batch of students for the year 2023 as part of its Aitken Spence Institute of Hotel Management training provided for deserving youth from across the island.

The first batch for the year included 50 students selected from over 200 applicants for a craft level course in restaurant and bar services. The students will undergo a mix model of learning from a theoretical approach conducted by trained lecturers and professional hoteliers to practical knowledge gained by working at Aitken Spence Hotels’ reputed properties located island wide in key tourist hotspots. 25 of the students will engage in learning at the Aitken Spence Institute of Hotel Management in Ahungalla and the others at Aitken Spence Institute of Hotel Management Dambulla.

Speaking at the inauguration, Aitken Spence PLC Director, Head of Tourism and Leisure, and Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotels Management Stasshani Jayawardena said that the importance of investing to mould young hoteliers in Sri Lanka can hardly be overstated. “Despite our recent troubles, Sri Lanka has been identified as a potential tourist hotspot in Asia. The many investments coming into the country in the way of new hotel chains opening or building their dream hotels around the island can attest to that. Our greatest challenge at present is the lack of skilled professionals within the industry; and this is where we come in.”

“The partnership between Aitken Spence Institute of Hotel Management and TUI rewards the deserving – those who are passionate to join the industry but may not have the necessary financial backing to enter the sector. This corporate social responsibility project is globally connected, focused on quality, and strives to make a difference in people’s lives. This joint commitment shows great faith in our country and its future.”

This is the fifth batch of the craft level course in restaurant and bar services, conducted as part of the continued training provided by Aitken Spence Hotels to build a base of professionals in the hospitality sector, given the dire need for skilled professionals within the industry.

The training provided via Aitken Spence Institute of Hotel Management is based on the syllabus of the Sri Lanka Institute of Hotel Management to ensure industry standards are maintained; whilst the Institute is managed in partnership with the TUI Care Foundation and Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. The TUI Care Foundation / Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and Aitken Spence Institute of Hotel Management partnership has produced 750 trained employees since its inception in 2019.