Regional University Opens New $1.3m Tourism, Hospitality Centre In Nadi

The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Pacific Technical and Further Education (Pacific TAFE) will open its $1.3 million Tourism & Hospitality Centre in Namaka, Nadi tomorrow.

The facility is a simulated training centre which has a commercial kitchen, a restaurant and bar, as well as classrooms and staff offices for the delivery of hospitality (events, food and beverage, and front office), commercial cookery and culinary and patisserie (pastry and bakery) programmes.

Executive director of Pacific TAFE, Hasmukh Lal said the need for such a state-of-the-art facility in Nadi arose after discussions with relevant industry players and governments.

“There are big skills and development gap at the entry and para professional levels of employment and these levels make up a large proportion of the hospitality workforce,” Mr Lal said.

With a full commercial kitchen and training restaurant, the Nadi Tourism & Hospitality Centre will focus on cookery and hospitality through Pacific TAFE’s Certificates III and IV in Commercial Cookery, Certificate III in Patisserie and Certificate IV in Hospitality Operations.

According to Mr Hasmukh Lal, being a very responsive regional human resource development agency, the university has expanded into skills training through its Pacific TAFE.

Mr Lal highlighted that the launching of the Nadi Hospitality & Tourism Centre will be a testament of market demand and make training more accessible to students and existing workers in the western division which boasts the majority of tourism activities in Fiji.

“We encourage students from outside Fiji, to study at this Centre while we make provisions for regional students to study at a similar facility at Laucala Campus which has benefits of student accommodation,” he said.

“Nadi is the hub of Fiji’s tourism industry and it is also the gateway to the Pacific and the world.

“The development of this training facility is very much growth driven and appropriate in terms of upgrading skills for tourism and hotel industry workers, provision of higher stair-casing qualification for existing workers and promoting professional development and career opportunities for new entrants.”

Mr Lal emphasised that the university will soon become a ‘one stop shop’ in culinary and hospitality education allowing students to complete their learning journey with Pacific TAFE from Certificate level III to Diploma level 5 and have pathways into degree studies.

Ms Pauline Tang, Chief Executive Officer of The International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education (THE-ICE) is officially opening the facility in the presence of Professor Rajesh Chandra, USP Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Richard Coll, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Learning, Teaching and Student Services, members of the University’s Senior Management Team and staff of Pacific TAFE.

(Source: University of the South Pacific Press Release 16 August 2017)

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