The Houghton Hotel in Johannesburg, in partnership with youth development organisation, Afrika Tikkun Services, has launched the Houghton Hotel Hospitality Academy – an industry-focused training programme for underprivileged youth.
The initiative is spearheaded by The Houghton Hotel CEO, Arnold Forman, who shares beliefs and aspirations with the Afrika Tikkun group, to bring education and empowerment to the previously disadvantaged youth of South Africa.
Afrika Tikkun Services CEO, Onyinye Nwaneri, said: “It is heartening that, at a time like this, a hotel in the midst of the COVID-19 economic crisis is not self-preservation inclined but is thinking outside of the box.”
The Houghton Hotel Academy receives pre-approved candidates who have been assessed by Afrika Tikkun Services, a recruitment, training and placement company designed to help corporate clients evaluate their transformation mandate and build solutions that align with their social and business requirements.
Successful candidates are enrolled into the academy on a 12-month programme – which takes place in a blended training environment at the hotel – and will be paid while being trained.
The course covers all aspects of successfully running a world-class hotel. Over and above theoretical training, each student is required to gain practical, hands-on experience in all departments of the hotel’s operations, including:
- Front and back office
- Food and beverage
- Housekeeping
- Finance and administration
- Sales and marketing
