A tourism in-service programme has been held for teachers in an effort to improve schoolchildren’s understanding of the importance of tourism and the career opportunities that the industry has to offer, tourism being one of the main pillars of the economy.

Creating a positive level of awareness among children was one of the reasons behind the programme, which was held again recently by the Industry HR Development Unit of the Malta Tourism Authority, in collaboration with the Department of Curriculum Management, Education Division, to complement the Choice Programme in secondary schools.

“Teachers play a pivotal role in the career decisions of their students and so it is very important both for the students and for the advancement of the industry itself that teachers have a good understanding of the sector,” said Joseph Tanti, head of HR Development at MTA.

Teachers from various schools attended the three-day programme, which aimed at providing teachers with a good understanding of the Industry and the sectors within it; knowledge about emerging trends, which require different professional and personal skills; and presenting a clearer idea about the role that they should play in guiding students towards the tourism industry.

The programme incorporated a visit to a leading five-star hotel, and presentations by stakeholders in the industry, including George Schembri and Hugh Peralta from MHRA; Rosetta Thornhill and Adrian Mamo from ITS, and David Vella, a training professional within the industry. Workshops were also organised to address a number of important educational issues.

The MTA’s Industry HR Development Unit is responsible for the development of human resources in the tourism industry. The promotion of careers within secondary schools is one of the principal objectives of this unit. For more information on the programme, contact the MTA’s Industry HR Development Unit on tel. no: 2291-5122 /4 or email [email protected].