The particularly strained hospitality sector receives support in times of COVID-19
Invest for Jobs and the Rwandan Chamber of Tourism have conducted a first training for 240 employees in the pandemic-struck hospitality sector. Over the next few months, 720 more participants will follow.
In November 2020, the first group of participants joined the trainings in Rwanda’s capital Kigali. They underwent refresher courses aimed at re- and upskilling across four areas of expertise: culinary arts, food & beverage services, housekeeping and front desk operations. In addition, each course provided practical guidance on how to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next three groups – each counting 240 participants – will follow in the tourism-heavy districts Musanze, Karongi and Huye until end of February 2021.
For many of the participants – some of whom are currently on forced leave due to the repercussions of the pandemic – the trainings proved to be an opportunity. Increasing their skillset will either assist them in their current roles or in their reintegration into a job once the tourism sector recovers.
For 28-year-old Eric Uwimana, who currently works in the culinary arts at Lemigo Hotel in Kigali, the training has been “highly valuable”, as he says. According to him, he “learned how to preserve the quality of food and its hygiene. In the absence of food’s proper care, it becomes a poison. For this reason food safety is a very important aspect in our profession and requires constant reminders”. The refresher training offered by Invest for Job was one of these important reminders. It’s a benefit to the individual participants, but also to the industry – and its customers – at large.