More than forty students have graduated from Ghana’s Hotel, Catering, Tourism Training Institute (HOTCATT) after the school underwent major changes following efforts by government to save it from total collapse.
The institute which was opened in 1991 to train human resource to feed the country’s hospitality and tourism sector, had gone into a dysfunctional state for nearly ten years since 2010.
Director of Human Resource Management at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Vitus Otto Langmagne speaking at the graduation ceremony on August 5, said he was impressed with the strides the institute had made in making itself relevant after a long absence in carrying out its mandate.
He said the school had gone through a tremendous changes and could now train the needed human resource for the country’s hospitality and tourism industry.
As part of the continuous restructuring efforts, the sector Minister, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, inaugurated a technical committee last May to review the curriculum of HOTCATT.
Director of HOTCATT, Petrina Etu-Mantey Ampah reflecting on the significance of the day said, “The road to this special day was rugged, filled with thorns, teaching and learning under very difficult circumstances, as this class was the first batch of students to enroll at HOTCATT when the school was reopened in 2020 after being defunct for nine years.”
She gave the assurance that HOTCATT shall continue fighting until “we gain competitive edge over all allied institutions and become a world class, client oriented hospitality and tourism training institute.”
In all, forty-four students, comprising 14 males and 30 females graduated with certificates in various courses such as, Kitchen Skills, Front Office Skills, Housekeeping Skills, Food and Beverage Services, Tour Guiding Skills and Banqueting, Conference and Event Management.
Story By: Samuel Obeng Appah
