Makkah Clock Royal Tower, a Fairmont Hotel, has signed an agreement with Prince Sultan College for Tourism and Management in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to provide top-notch hospitality training, internship and employment opportunities for Saudi Arabian students.

Under the agreement, both organisations have pledged to allocate their respective resources to support the development of students by combining classroom theory with practical application in the workplace.

Spearheaded by Prof Shakeel Habeb, dean of the college, and Abdulaziz Eid, general manager of Makkah Clock Royal Tower, this partnership aims to develop a strong educational curriculum that equips graduates with in-demand skills and knowledge, while cementing the hospitality sector as both a major contributor to the country’s economy and as a top employer of Saudi nationals.

“The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities anticipates that in the coming years the tourism sector will emerge as a true economic powerhouse, employing more than 926,000 people and surpassing more than SR70 billion ($18.6 billion) in earnings – around 6.5 per cent of the kingdom’s GDP,” said Eid.

“Given these facts, it is incredibly important that we work closely with educational institutions to develop a prepared and qualified workforce that can meet the growing needs of this expanding sector,” he said.

The collaboration between the hotel and the college will enable students to participate in the hotel’s Leadership Development programme, which will give them unlimited access to its diverse divisions and specialisations. From catering, sales, reservations to marketing, trainees undergo job rotation and gain first-hand knowledge into the inner-workings of each department. In addition, the Leaders of Tomorrow programme allows trainees to immerse themselves fully in a professional employment environment by experiencing a full-time schedule, handling real-time responsibilities and assignments, and receiving monthly compensation. Placement in this programme may also lead to an employment contract at the hotel.

Students interested in joining the programme can find out more by visiting Placement and Cooperative Training centre at the Prince Sultan College. - TradeArabia News Service