THE expansion of the hotel and catering and tourism sector has been matched by the proliferation of courses on offer at Post Leaving Certificate level. Most of these courses prepare students for entry to further training, usually with CERT, the State tourism training body.
Una Fitzpatrick, course co-ordinator of the hotel and catering course in Drogheda College of Further Education, reports a 100 per cent rate placement rate for last year's graduates of the CERT level 2 course. The college participates in an innovative scheme under which students spend one day a week after Christmas in Newry College of Catering.
Under the auspices of Interreg, a cross-border programme, they do the practical work for National Vocational Qualifications in food preparation and cooking in Newry. The theory is studied in Drogheda "Every year, we have about a 95 per cent placement rate between CERT courses and Newry College of Catering. The one day a week spent in Newry means that our students have one foot in the door," explains Ms Fitzpatrick.
Drogheda College of Further Education has between 20 and 25 places on its CERT 2 course each year. These are open students with the Leaving Certificate or previous CERT 1 (a post-Junior Certificate programme) students. All applicants are interviewed. "They must be interested in hotel and catering...enthusiastic. They must be willing to work unsocial hours and to show a certain amount of commitment and knowledge," she says.
Students take French and communications and participate in work experience. In addition, they study food and beverage service, accommodation services, food preparation, hygiene, commercial, arithmetic, and art and crafts.
Karen Delaney, co-ordinator of the one year foundation course in hotel, catering and tourism skills in the College of Commerce, Cork, notes that the industry has a reputation for poor pay and long hours. She says that this type of one year course helps students to make up their minds if the industry is really for them. "We've had dropouts...the bulk of students that are left are ideal candidates," she adds.
A survey of school leavers, commissioned by CERT, found that only seven per cent were interested in a tourism job. However, another study found that employees were generally satisfied with the industry and over two thirds indicated that they would be likely to stay in the industry. Almost four-fifths would follow the same career path if given the choice again.
Karen Delaney is not particularly worried about a possible drop off in applicants for the college's 70 places. "We go out, advertise and recruit. There is an interest in the area if you go out to the schools. Teachers from the college give career talks in schools," she says.
Of course, hotel and catering is only one part of the tourism industry. Tourism per se can be studied in a number of Post Leaving Certificate colleges. Michael Fevers, principal of North Connaught College, Tubbercurry, County Sligo says there is a strong emphasis on local tourism on their tourism studies course. Students visit tourist attractions such as the Ceide Fields, County Mayo, and study how they are promoted and run. This learning process is then translated back into attractions in their own community.
Students also undertake work experience in places such as hotels, travel agents and Knock Airport. "The work experience is particularly useful," he says, as it gives the students direct contact with potential employers." The college has about 20 places each year on its tourism studies course.
Students do three NCVA modules as well as tourism awareness, Failte customer care, design and presentation, profile of rural tourism, tourism enterprise, general reception and administration, French and computing, wordprocessing and typing. Special emphasis is placed on using skills to improve the tourism potential of the area from which they come, emphasises Mr Fevers.
Employment prospects are fairly good, he says. One or two students progress on to other CERT courses like hotel management. Others go straight into work one girl got a job with Ryanair at Knock on graduation last year. Others work in hotels doing reception and secretarial work.
Limerick Senior College offers a diploma in travel and tourism which is validated by the University of Wales and the NCVA. It incorporates a five month work experience module between first and second year when students are expected to work in the travel and tourism industry, either at home or abroad.
Maurice O'Sullivan, course director, explains that the college "sees the diploma as being an avenue to employment and, also, a means to embark on further study." Honours graduates of the course have the option of transferring to a degree course in Cardiff.
