Irish college students on attachment in Seychelles |30 May 2009

Three have been placed at the Four Seasons Resort and the rest at Labriz Silhouette.

The students, who are aiming to become hotel managers at the end of their degree studies, will be here for three months to get work experience in various sections of the hotel industry.

Shannon College is the leading hotel school in Ireland and has 298 students, 130 of whom are foreigners from no fewer than 20 countries.

It offers a four-year course for a Bachelor of Business degree in international hotel management (BBS) or a Bachelor of Commerce degree with NUI Diploma in international hotel management (BComm).

The Irish students’ placement in Seychelles comes after relations with the college were reopened last year, and a draft agreement with the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) is now under discussion.

Peter Moncherry from the Seychelles Tourism Board and Flavien Joubert from the STA were invited by Shannon’s principal to visit last year. They were impressed and have been trying ever since to associate the academy with the college.

In return, the college principal visited Seychelles where he acquainted himself with the STA’s programme of studies and also visited some five-star hotels on Mahe and Praslin.

“He liked our products and he feels confident in sending his students here on attachment at these leading resorts,” said Mr Moncherry.

Once an agreement is signed between the two institutions, the STA hopes it can start sending its lecturers next year to Shannon College for further training.

It is also hoped that by 2011 the first batch of hotel management students can enroll at the college to complete their bachelor’s degree in hotel management.