Port aux Basques campus offers new Marine Hospitality Training
9/3/2008 1:31:45 PM
College of the North Atlantic is implementing a 35-week Marine Hospitality Training program at its Port aux Basques campus during the Fall 2008 session. The program is designed to respond to growing demands for qualified workers with exceptional knowledge of marine-based hospitality industries, locally and provincially.
Port aux Basques campus is a natural fit, as it is located in the town of Channel Port aux Basques, the primary entry point onto the island of Newfoundland and the continuation of the Trans Canada Highway from mainland Canada.
The town hosts a passenger terminal for the ferry service operated by Marine Atlantic, which runs several vessels between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland through this harbor. With this in mind, CNA staff conducted consultations with industry to define the skill sets required to function effectively in this demanding tourism sector.
“Because we already have a Hospitality Tourism Management program at the college, we were able to utilize the training and materials we have in-house, and supplement it with additional training as suggested by such industry stakeholders as Marine Atlantic,” says Port aux Basques Campus Administrator Jan Peddle.
He says they gave input as to what they’d like to see, and the college incorporated that into the program.
“We are pleased to have worked with College of the North Atlantic on this project. This course is timely as there is a growing shortage of marine trained personnel nationally and internationally," says Rhona Green, Vice President of Human Resources for Marine Atlantic.
"We hope this is the first of many programs that we will work with the college on to develop the skill sets of persons in and around the Port aux Basques area."
This one-time offering will provide graduates with the skills to take advantage of emerging opportunities in marine-based tourism immediately upon graduation. Graduates will be prepared to work on such vessels as ferries and cruise lines. But that’s not all, says Peddle.
“Yes, this program will deal with training specific to the marine industry,” he says, “but it will also equip people for the tourism industry as a whole.”
Graduates will be proficient in front-line hospitality skills supplemented by Marine Emergency Duties training and national certification required for entry-level positions. Applicants must have Grade 12 to meet admission requirements.
CNA's Business Development Officer at the campus, Fonse Pittman, expects overwhelming response to this unique training opportunity.
“We’ve already had calls from people inquiring as to the possibility of this training,” says Pittman, “and I expect as a result, that we will have an overwhelming response to this unique training opportunity.”
For more information on the Marine Hospitality Training program, call Port aux Basques campus: 709.695.3343 or email: fonse.pittman@cna.nl.ca.
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