Accor, a leader in the hospitality industry, has launched a training program to develop the skills and expertise of Saudi nationals in the hospitality industry at management level.

The all-new Saudi management training program, launched at the Novotel Al Anoud in Riyadh, is endorsed and part of an initiative by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, which has worked with Accor’s training academy, Tamheed to create this tailor made program for Saudi nationals.

The initiative is aimed at nurturing the careers of Saudi nationals in the field of hospitality as future leaders of Accor hotels, said a top official.

Christophe Landais, the managing director of Accor Middle East, said the Accor Group was deeply committed to the development of the local communities in which it operates.

“The Saudi Management Training Program is an important initiative to us as we encourage Saudi nationals to join the hospitality industry and look forward to nurturing their careers within our future management teams,” he noted.

The program, a 15-month curriculum, will include a full academic term, combined with practical training. It is divided into two stages, first targeting the development of fundamental skills related to the hospitality field and a second, focusing on acquiring essential management capabilities.

Upon completion and passing the final examination, participants will be granted an official Accor Diploma enabling them to apply for positions such as Assistant Front Office Manager or Assistant Reservation Manager as a first step in their development.

Dr Abdulaziz Alhazzaa, the director of the Center for National HRD in Tourism from Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities said, “Creating job opportunities for Saudis in tourism is a strategic goal for SCTA and Accor is a major partner in achieving this goal. Great progress has been made in the Saudization process since the establishment of the SCTA as it has increased from 10 per cent in 2001 to 27 per cent by the end of 2012."

"We expect tourism sector to be the major employer for young Saudis in the coming years. We will work with Accor and other major partners in the tourism industry to make the tourism sector more attractive to young Saudis," stated Dr Alhazzaa.

There are currently 15 members of the program who have been recruited through an extensive search across the Kingdom’s peninsula, in a drive spearheaded by Salah Oumouden, VP of Accor in Saudi Arabia.

"Candidates will benefit from Tamheed’s 27 years of expertise in the hotel industry, which will help them climb the corporate ladder through the development of their operational and management skills," he noted.

The Accor Academie runs training sessions throughout the year and tailors training courses, which are adapted and appropriate for the development of the Accor employees, said Landais.

The Accor Group, whose recent growth throughout the Kingdom has achieved impressive results, is firmly committed towards not only achieving its targets of 100 hotels by 2015 for the broader Middle East, but also ensuring that this translates into a firm commitment towards a lasting social impact for the region, he added.-TradeArabia News Service