Hospitality Job fair starts February 17

A new hotel training academy will simulate a four star hotel with 100-150 rooms. The Addis Ababa Hotel Association is building the academy to help supply the industry with better trained hospitality workers and at the same time help the youth find employment in the hospitality industry. Over the next 32 years it plans to train one million people in Ethiopia. Currently they are conducting a study and getting ready to sell shares and secure the land to begin construction. Students will learn food and beverage service, food production and housekeeping. Each trainee will then select one path for their career and could look for work in one of the star hotels or use their certificate to look for work abroad.
Binyam Bisrat Addis Ababa Hotel Association President told the press last Thursday that the new school will train many people and make a difference in hospitality.
“There are 165 hotels are in Addis Ababa which are rated from one to five star and more than 100 local and international brand hotels are in the pipeline. So we need the right skilled man power. The new hospitality academy will present a fantastic opportunity for the area’s communities and its hotels.’’
He added that the academy will play a role in sending skilled workers abroad. “When Ethiopians want to get jobs in hotels in other countries employers require them to have a certificate but previously it wasn’t really possible to obtain this. This school will be accredited so that employers will know they are getting skilled workers.”
Binyam says that hotel business has been improving lately and tourists are returning.
In related news the first Hospitality Job fair and Networking event will be carried out at the Intercontinental Hotel on February 17.
More than 200 hotels will participate in the event and up to 5,000 trained hotel workers will have the opportunity to meet hotel owners and apply for hotel jobs.