Occupational Standards and Certification for the Tourism and Hospitality Sector - Part I - (Oct - Dec 1998 Vol 1 No 4)

In the years to come, the standard of living in our island and the rest of the world will depend vitally on the competitiveness of our industry and commerce which depends heavily on the motivation and the knowledge, understanding and skills of those employed. We in Barbados need to increase significantly the number of better trained Tourism and Hospitality staff as a contribution to strengthening of the Barbados Tourism Product by improving the price quality ratio. Such strengthening is urgently required to safeguard the sector’s profitability and to realize its potential for further growth. This is in turn critical to the overall well-being of Barbados, considering the dominant position of tourism in combined terms of foreign exchange earnings, employment and contribution to the Gross Domestic Product.

The Barbados Community College, Hospitality Institute

Significant programme developments have been taking place at the Barbados Community College, from the launching of new standards initiatives, courses, major updating of teaching and learning strategies, and the establishment of course development teams focusing on a client centred curriculum framework. The main feature of this curriculum development is through a modular framework that allows for:

1. attainment of national and international academic and vocational standards.
2. competency based education in a realistic work environment.
3. a variety of entry and exit points enabling individuals to reach their full potential and career aspirations.

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