Seychellois help college team win top contest |19 April 2012

(Left to right): Seated: Rose-May Payette, Phillip J. Smyth (director of Shannon College), Michele Andre.
Rear: Deborah O’Hanlon (operations manager at Shannon College), Alexander Muir, Helena Rowe, David Brosnan, Sean T. Ruane (tourism lecturer at Shannon College)

Michele Andre and Rose-May Payette, who are both studying at the Shannon College of Hotel Management in Ireland, helped their team to perform excellently in this business management game organised by the Irish Hospitality Institute (IHI).

The Shannon college team also included Helena Rowe (as captain) and two other members -- Alexander Muir and David Brosnan. They were tutored by the college’s lecturers Deborah O’Hanlon and Sean T. Ruane.

Miss Andre is a Year 4 student who started her studies at the Shannon College in 2008. She will start her final year work placement in July and is due to graduate next year.

Miss Payette on the other hand successfully completed the Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management at the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) last year. She is one of the 14 STA students currently completing their Bachelor of Business Studies in International Hotel Management at the college.

For scoring top marks the team won a two-day tutored trip to Champagne Taittinger’s historic Château de la Marqueretterie and Vineyards in Reims, North East France, courtesy of wine importers Febvre and Company.

For the game, contestants spent two days devising a strategy, palling and managing a fictitious hospitality business in a simulated Irish business environment, reflecting current economic and social constraints.

HOTS – the world’s leading company in hospitality business management simulation software -- provided an online programme. This programme is specifically developed to pitch for Irish business in a highly competitive environment where realistic operating budgets were of paramount importance, most specifically in the area of quality service standards, environmental and social challenges.

In addition Unilever Food Solutions and Net Affinity, both patrons of the IHI, also supported the game while presenting a practical challenge for all teams to work through in areas of food waste and social media, both current and very relevant topical issues within the industry.

Altogether nine teams representing young hospitality managers for the future from all over Ireland took part in the competition.

The Seychelles Tourism Board’s chief executive Elsia Grandcourt has congratulated the two Seychellois students.

“We are proud to see our young Seychellois making their mark in Ireland,” she said.