SIXTY university students now have internships, thanks to a local-international partnership.
The Hilton Worldwide’s local hotels in Mzansi, together with the Culture, Art, Tourism, Hospitality, and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority, awarded internships worth almost R3,5 million across the country.
The aim is to create careers for the youth by way of education and development opportunities and to equip them with the skills they’ll need to work in hospitality.
Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom said this shows there were plenty of opportunities in the industry.
“Take full advantage of these internships and the opportunity to learn from Hilton,” he said.
Jan van der Putten, Hilton Worldwide’s vice president of operations, said their internships and work integrated learnerships provided a consistent high-quality model that not only meets the needs of providing participating students with work experience, but also exposes them to the industry and all it has to offer.
In honour of Women’s Month, 48 out of the 60 interns are women.
The 12-month internship covers sales, marketing and revenue, accounts, human resources, food and beverage, kitchen, housekeeping, front office and information technology.
This initiative is part of Hilton Worldwide’s Open Doors, a commitment which aims to create opportunities and to “open doors” for young people. It is one of the three pillars of “Travel with Purpose”, the name of Hilton Worldwide’s global corporate responsibility strategy.
Hilton Worldwide has more than 4 700 hotels around the world with a key focus being on the expansion of its footprint and presence across the African continent.
Considering the projected growth in the industry, it is estimated that Hilton Worldwide will create more than 23 000 jobs in the next four years.
