03 September 2009
MUSCAT -- The hospitality industry in the Sultanate is expected to grow further with the government giving more thrust to tourism.
Many Omanis have opted for the field, considering plenty of opportunities lying ahead for them.
National Hospitality Institute (NHI) has been running the internationally-accredited American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) Hotel Management Diploma for over two years now, both on a full time and a part time basis, attracting a large number of different age groups and nationalities.
Different nationalities
Currently, the full time diploma course has a very diverse group of students. There are a total of 11 different nationalities, including Moroccan, South African, Pakistani, Indian, Venezuelan and Omani and the ages vary between 16 and 36.
The hotel management diploma at NHI is such an attractive course as it offers a diverse coverage of the hospitality industry and practical experience, both in the working environments in the institute and in the six-month internship in very reputable organisations at the end of the course.
Currently, there are 12 students from the previous diploma course doing their internships at International Hotel Group (IHG) hotels here in Muscat, namely Al Bustan Palace Hotel, Crowne Plaza Muscat and InterContinental Hotel Muscat.
There is very limited choice in Oman for this level of training in hospitality for Omanis and especially expatriates. This diploma course being an internationally-accredited qualification coupled with the excellent facilities available at the institute, it is a first rate choice in Oman for anyone looking to join the hospitality industry and for those looking for career enhancement. "The structure and content of the course is in-depth, interesting, and informative and underpinned by students performing in real situations with real people in real time," said Frederick Hines, team leader in Food Service at NHI.
"We invite all hospitality thirsty people to our institute to see what courses we have to offer and for a grand tour of our facilities and a bite to eat at the end in our training eatery the Classroom Restaurant. We strive to provide as much information and advice to the community as we can and to make sure that we offer training solutions that meet everyone's needs," said Robert MacLean, principal of NHI.
Feedback from the current group of students themselves has been very positive and they are thoroughly enjoying the course. When asked what they most enjoy about the course most commented on the practical work, particularly in the subject of food and beverage; the teaching methods, mentioning that they are very diverse and theory sessions are made very interesting as the teachers have extensive experience in the industry and therefore share their experiences with the students bringing the classes to life. As part of the practical training NHI exposes its students to real-life working environments i.e. a working kitchen which prepares food for a working restaurant along with a working reception and serviced apartments. This helps to consolidate the theory with hands-on work experience, preparing the students for their internships and for when they commence work. "This course is the only of its kind on offer in Oman to date. We have the flexibility of offering this course full time and part time, as well as modular for specific industry needs. All course materials are updated alongside industry developments," commented Tracey Brooker, Team Leader of Food Safety Academy at NHI.
"The information is broken down which makes it much easier to understand. The lessons are good and enjoyable and our teachers are very experienced and make it interesting by doing lots of activities including presentations and practical sessions", said Jahari Nabil, NHI Hotel Management Diploma student. The students also commented on what they aspire to do once they have completed the diploma. "I would like to take the knowledge and experience I have gained from the diploma and go and work in a hotel", said Kimberley Dreyer, NHI Hotel Management Diploma student. "I plan to do further study and eventually do a masters in Hotel Management", said Obaid Syed, NHI Hotel Management Diploma student. "I enjoyed my practical experience in the kitchen so much I now want to become a chef!" said Shaima, NHI Hotel Management Diploma student.
MUSCAT -- The hospitality industry in the Sultanate is expected to grow further with the government giving more thrust to tourism.
Many Omanis have opted for the field, considering plenty of opportunities lying ahead for them.
National Hospitality Institute (NHI) has been running the internationally-accredited American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) Hotel Management Diploma for over two years now, both on a full time and a part time basis, attracting a large number of different age groups and nationalities.
Different nationalities
Currently, the full time diploma course has a very diverse group of students. There are a total of 11 different nationalities, including Moroccan, South African, Pakistani, Indian, Venezuelan and Omani and the ages vary between 16 and 36.
The hotel management diploma at NHI is such an attractive course as it offers a diverse coverage of the hospitality industry and practical experience, both in the working environments in the institute and in the six-month internship in very reputable organisations at the end of the course.
Currently, there are 12 students from the previous diploma course doing their internships at International Hotel Group (IHG) hotels here in Muscat, namely Al Bustan Palace Hotel, Crowne Plaza Muscat and InterContinental Hotel Muscat.
There is very limited choice in Oman for this level of training in hospitality for Omanis and especially expatriates. This diploma course being an internationally-accredited qualification coupled with the excellent facilities available at the institute, it is a first rate choice in Oman for anyone looking to join the hospitality industry and for those looking for career enhancement. "The structure and content of the course is in-depth, interesting, and informative and underpinned by students performing in real situations with real people in real time," said Frederick Hines, team leader in Food Service at NHI.
"We invite all hospitality thirsty people to our institute to see what courses we have to offer and for a grand tour of our facilities and a bite to eat at the end in our training eatery the Classroom Restaurant. We strive to provide as much information and advice to the community as we can and to make sure that we offer training solutions that meet everyone's needs," said Robert MacLean, principal of NHI.
Feedback from the current group of students themselves has been very positive and they are thoroughly enjoying the course. When asked what they most enjoy about the course most commented on the practical work, particularly in the subject of food and beverage; the teaching methods, mentioning that they are very diverse and theory sessions are made very interesting as the teachers have extensive experience in the industry and therefore share their experiences with the students bringing the classes to life. As part of the practical training NHI exposes its students to real-life working environments i.e. a working kitchen which prepares food for a working restaurant along with a working reception and serviced apartments. This helps to consolidate the theory with hands-on work experience, preparing the students for their internships and for when they commence work. "This course is the only of its kind on offer in Oman to date. We have the flexibility of offering this course full time and part time, as well as modular for specific industry needs. All course materials are updated alongside industry developments," commented Tracey Brooker, Team Leader of Food Safety Academy at NHI.
"The information is broken down which makes it much easier to understand. The lessons are good and enjoyable and our teachers are very experienced and make it interesting by doing lots of activities including presentations and practical sessions", said Jahari Nabil, NHI Hotel Management Diploma student. The students also commented on what they aspire to do once they have completed the diploma. "I would like to take the knowledge and experience I have gained from the diploma and go and work in a hotel", said Kimberley Dreyer, NHI Hotel Management Diploma student. "I plan to do further study and eventually do a masters in Hotel Management", said Obaid Syed, NHI Hotel Management Diploma student. "I enjoyed my practical experience in the kitchen so much I now want to become a chef!" said Shaima, NHI Hotel Management Diploma student.
© Times of Oman 2009
