Studens from Abbey Vocational School and St Columba’s College, Stranorlar, pictured with Patrice Duffy and Sean Carney from LYIT.
TRANSITION year students from Abbey Vocational School in Donegal Town and St Columba’s College in Stranorlar are to benefit from a new tourism training pilot project just launched in the LYIT School of Tourism in Killybegs.
Recent consultation with the tourism industry highlighted how a significant number of second level students are employed in tourism/hospitality enterprises on a seasonal/part-time basis and that the majority of students do not receive industry specific training.
This training programme, which is funded by Donegal County Council, will be delivered by LYIT’s School of Tourism in Killybegs to transition year students one day per week over a four week period. In total 40 students will be recruited onto the programme, 20 from each school.
The programme will address the issues which were raised by industry and stakeholders by focusing on training introduction to the tourism industry and the tourism product in County Donegal with specific focus on regional food, crafts and tourism activities along the Wild Atlantic Way. It will also look at restaurant service with an introduction to food hygiene and food handling and customer care within the tourism sector.
Seamus Neely, Chief Executive of Donegal County Council said, “The launch of the Wild Atlantic Way marketing initiative by Failte Ireland in 2014 has seen increased visitor numbers to Donegal and is delivering significant benefits to our tourism sector. This project will compliment this initiative by focusing on training and up-skilling our young seasonal workforce and giving them vital skills that will enable them to succeed in obtaining work in the sector.”