By Sandra Blessing
The Africa’s leading hospitality and tourism institution, the Kenya Utalli has rolled out various programs aimed ensuring the country’s readiness to a 5 million tourist mark
The Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mark Ogendi said the institution has developed strategies not only to make remain center of excellence in tourism and hospitality but to make it also financially viable and stable.
He said the institution has embarked on the creation of organic farming, to produce vegetables, poultry, milk to make it self-sufficient and reduce the cost.
“In the Social Corporate responsibility, we have a program, Mathare Future ready project where Mathare and Ruaraka constituencies will benefit from training slots to the residence in hospitality,” he said.
Ogendi said the institution was seeking to enhance language pruriency in German , French, Spanish , Japanese, Chinese and Italians for the students.
“ We are enhancing customer service to government institution. And to the airports to improve on handling of tourists and customers,” he said.
The CEO said the institution has become In readiness for the five million tourism target from 2025-2027
He said the recently concluded KAHC and KATA conventions highlighted areas that the institution needed to act on as the leading Premier institution in hospitality and training:
: Partnership and collaborative approach to developing areas that will help reach the 5M tourists in Kenya and use of available resources to train the students
The need for capacity building for the industry through refresher courses and management development programs (MDPs)
Clear unity and once voice from all the training institutions to meet and agree on the minimum standards
Training needs assessment from the industry perspective.
Use of technology and digital learning to enhance upgrading of skills for the working class who may not get time to attend physical classes,” he said.
The CEO said the College has emerged as a center for capacity building for the industry.
“Through well designed industry based programs, the College organizes targeted courses aimed at addressing skills gaps in the industry. Currently, the global labor market is a huge skills gap, the college industry based courses are handy in alleviating the manpower shortage. The courses target both junior and managerial staff,” he said
He said by the virtue of the curriculum having been designed along the Swiss model considered the best hospitality curriculum in the world, Kenya Utalli College offers internationally recognized hospitality education.
He said Swiss hospitality and tourism training is anchored on Technical and Vocational model training model which emphasizes technical skills fused with soft skills.
He explained that the students are exposed to a curriculum that prioritizes practical approach to training with the latter constituting sixty five percent and theory thirty five percent.
Given the practically oriented, hands-on graduates, the alumni of Utalli are very popular among local and international employers. Our graduates are spread across the globe where they work in high end hotels and premier airlines and cruise ships.
“Accordingly, the graduates meet the international standards. Employers find them plug and play due to their ability to function in diverse work environments.
When Jersey Island experienced acute labor shortage, the College graduates came in handy to fill the gap. Islands recruiter and labor solutions agency the GR8 was tasked to recruit the graduates of the College to go and work on the Channel Island.
What was described as seasonal labor arrangement has metamorphosed into permanent status for Kenyan professionals, a testament of the quality Utalli graduates” he said
