90% of workers in tourists sector have no formal training

Mr Kofi Ankama-Asamoah, Chief Executive Officer of Cleaning Solutions Limited, on Wednesday noted that 90 per cent of the 12,000 people employed in the tourism sector lack formal training.

"In the sector less than 10 per cent have further training either due to lack of tourism curriculum, reluctance of management to spend resources on training or lack of resource personnel," he added.

Mr Ankama-Asamoah stated this at the Certification of Kitchen Staffs of Fiesta Royale Hotel in Accra.

The staffs underwent a three-month capacity building training organised by Cleaning Solutions to improve the quality of hygiene, room care, laundry care and customer service to meet international hospitality standards and norms.

Cleaning Solutions is a major supplier of Industrial and Commercial Cleaning Equipment and Janitorial Supplies, and analysis client requirements before recommending solutions to solve the cleaning problem to raise standards.

Mr Ankama-Asamoah emphasised the need for stakeholders in the hospitality industry to invest in the training of staffs who provided the most valuable ingredient in the industry with excellent service.

He commended the management of the Hotel for instituting periodic training for its staff, adding: "With the systems that have been set up, we expect that even if the usual high turnover of the hospitality industry should hit Fiesta Royale, the standards would be maintained."

Mr Said Khan, General Manager of the Hotel challenged the staff to make good use of the knowledge acquired, stressing: "Getting the certificate is one step, making an impact on the job is another."

He said management would ensure that certification and evaluation became an annual event to facilitate the improvement of quality and efficiency systematically.

Mrs Adelaide Boateng, of Ghana Tourist Board, who chaired the ceremony emphasised the need for the maintenance of high standards in the hospitality industry.

Source: GNA