YouLead, Kandy Hoteliers collaborate to save jobs, strengthen tourism Industry
View(s):The Kandy Hoteliers Association (KHA) launched a soft skills training programme in Kandy on July 10 for tourism and hospitality industry employees.
It was launched in collaboration with YouLead, a $12 million programme funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the International Executive Service Corps (IESC) to improve technical and vocational education and training, create a more skilled workforce, and link youth to more productive careers.
“The members of KHA are making every effort to retain and upskill employees, bolster their confidence, and improve their career prospects following the lull in international travellers experienced after the April 21 attacks. The programme is tailored specifically to improving the customer-service skills of the employees. Thirty employees from KHA member hotels are taking part in the programme designed by YouLead’s Tourism Consultant, Srilal Miththapala, YouLead said in a media release.
After the devastating Easter Sunday attacks, YouLead and the Sri Lanka Tourism Skills Committee stepped in to support the struggling industry by strengthening the soft skills of hotel staff. The programme covers topics such as communications, body language, assertiveness, teamwork, interpersonal skills, and customer service.
KHA President Samantha Ratnayake said, “We are pleased with this initiative. It comes during a time the tourist industry is experiencing an unexpected setback. It will not only address the need for upskilling staff but will reinforce the fact among hotel employees that Sri Lanka will recover, and these skills will matter.”
Charles Conconi, YouLead Project Director, concurred, “YouLead was focused on helping the industry identify and train up to 100,000 new recruits. We’ve temporarily adjusted our focus to saving jobs rather than creating them. We are confident that Sri Lankan tourism will soon be back on its feet and having better skilled employees will help drive the industry to even greater heights.”
YouLead is also a leading contributor to the lovesrilanka.org portal and the #lovesrilanka movement. The Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance launched the movement in the weeks after the April 21 attacks to present a unified voice for the industry and provide credible information on the security situation for potential visitors.
“Without the portal and its related social media feeds, potential tourists would have remained confused and the recovery process would drag out for many months and millions of dollars in additional losses,” said Malik Fernando, Managing Director of Resplendent Ceylon who chairs the Alliance’s Advisory Group.