By Yunus S Saliu
The management of the Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI) has welcomed and congratulated their new intake students to the institute, as they should considered themselves lucky to be among those selected to benefit from the programs and sponsorship packages to study in the institute.
One hundred and fifty new intake students last Wednesday gathered at the school hall for orientation with opportunity to become productive professionals that will bridge the gaps in terms of human resources needed within the tourism industry.
The 150 newly admitted students at the institute were from the Greater Banjul Area, 132 of them sponsored under Youth Empowerment Projects (YEP) and 18 under GTHI package as the program will last 6 months. The students were given admission in the following three courses – Food and Beverage; Professional Cookery and Rooms Division.
Speaking on behalf of Dauda Nyang, Director General of GTHI, Dawda Baldeh gave an in-depth background of the institute right from the time immemorial when the school was known as Hotel School, its transformation to Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI) till date.
He made it known to the students that tourism and hospitality is a viable sector growing worldwide with opportunity for all serious and determined people.
Ngoneh Panneh, Program Officer Tourism and Creative Industries at International Trade Centre (ITC) told students that the kind of excitement they are feeling as freshmen of the institute comes with responsibility.
She noted that the YEP funding program with the GTHI because “we have seen potentials in the tourism and hospitality industry, the demands for jobs and demands for jobs beyond tourism industry extending to the transport, logistic, event and the creative sectors,” this and more she said are the reasons.
According to her YEP/ITC have been working with the GTHI since 2018/2019 whereby they started with funding about 200 students, adding that since then they have annex in West Coast, Farafenni, North Bank and Central River Region and this year moving to Basse, Upper River Region (URR).
Among aims is to be able to support Gambia youths so they can get jobs to support themselves so they can look within themselves with the skill they learn and create opportunities for themselves.
Advising them to make the best use of the opportunity as they are becoming the face of the country in selling The Gambia through their different categories of chosen courses, she disclosed that that the sponsorship package included stipend amount, school uniforms, tuition fees, books and so on to cover all their requirements.
Adding that YEP/ITC believed in GTHI as the best tourism and hospitality institute for the students.
Fatoumatta Camara, Instructor/Cookery, Pastry Research Assistant; Messrs Kangsuwaro Bah, Senior Instructor F n B Service; Manneh; Ceesay, Sheriff Conteh Head department of Room Division; among others gave speeches at the orientation to guide and educate the students about their new chosen careers.
