STA to recruit more Praslinois school leavers |26 January 2010

This scheme is very helpful for parents and students, who do not need to travel to Mahe, and also of great benefit to Praslin hoteliers, whose support is needed for success. 

The STA reintroduced the Praslin apprenticeship scheme in January 2007 with four courses – kitchen and pastry, for students to become cooks and in the future chefs; restaurant and bar, for them to become waiters, waitresses, barmen, barmaids and in future maîtres d’hotel; housekeeping, for them to become chambermaids, laundry attendants and in future housekeepers or laundry supervisors; and reception operations and services for them to become receptionists, telephonists, guests relations officers, reservation clerks and higher positions in the future.
 
Since all the courses are four years, leading to supervisory positions and middle management, students have the choice to leave on completing two years to start a career or a family.

However, they can return to complete the third and fourth year when they are ready. Students are also paid an allowance by the host hotels.

Some of the hotels on Praslin with STA apprenticeship students are the Lemuria, Paradise Sun and La Reserve, while some reception operations students are from Mason’s Travel, Creole Holidays and the Seychelles Tourism Board Praslin.

Classes are held in an office-turned-classroom put at the STA’s disposal by Mitcy Larue, MNA for Baie Ste Anne Praslin. This can hold 12 students and one lecturer.

There is also a 30-seat classroom offered by the Ministry of Education through the Technical Further Education Department.
Lecturers are from the STA with the help of professionals from Praslin hotels as guest lecturers.  Last year all students’ practical examinations took place at the Constance Lemuria Hotel, sponsored by the hotel courtesy of Jacques Charles, the new general manager, and Maxime Rachel, a young Seychellois in a high management position with Constance and based at the Lemuria.

Former STA apprenticeship students who have graduated now hold important positions in various hotels on Praslin.
These include Cynthia Anacoura, front office supervisor at the Coco-de-Mer Hotel; Dorina Brizilia, senior waitress at the Constance Lemuria; Velma Roselie, senior waitress at the Paradise Sun Hotel; Virginie Banane, in reception at the Emerald Cove Hotel; Bruno Larue, bartender on the Cat Rose catamaran.