Drive to attract better educated staff in tourism

Eight out of 10 students who completed their education beyond the post-secondary level managed to find a job, according to Kirsten Miller from the National Commission for Higher Education.

In contrast, fewer than five out of 10 students who left school aged 16 landed a job, she said at a press conference encouraging youngsters to choose a career in tourism.

Ms Miller, along with Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco, made the appeal to Form IV and V students during the launch of a DVD, L-Impjegati (the employees), part of a Malta Tourism Authority campaign.

The campaign aims to encourage students to consider taking up higher education studies for a future career within the tourism industry.

The industry employs more people than any other in Malta, with an estimated 40,000 employed on a full- or part-time basis.

Dr de Marco stressed the importance of students pursuing their studies because tourism jobs required a "mix of skills" that higher education gave those who enrolled in it.

He told assembled students and parents that higher education "opened doors" and presented opportunities in contrast with finding employment straight out of secondary school. There was more to tourism than the jobs and careers an individual would usually associate with the industry. There were plenty of other opportunities that were not immediately obvious, such as accounting and IT consultancy.

"Tourism is an industry that gives people the opportunity to climb the ladder. For example, there are various people I know who started working at a hotel reception and are now general managers," Dr de Marco said.