Accra, – The Hotel Catering and Tourism Training Institute (HOTCATT) has held its 2021 graduation ceremony for the first batch of students after its re-opening in 2020.
The ceremony, on the theme “Dream big, start small, act now” saw 44 students graduate with certificates in Kitchen Skills, Front Office Skills, Housekeeping Skills, Food and Beverage Service, Tour Guiding Skills and Banqueting, Conferencing and Event Management.
Madam Petrina Etu-Mantey Ampah, Director HOTCATT said the Institute was established in 1991 to provide skills at the basic, intermediary and supervisory levels to upgrade the skills and competences of all levels of personnel in the hotel catering and tourism sector to help transform Ghana into a competitive tourism destination.
She said the class being the first batch of students to enrol in the school since it was reopened in 2020 after being defunct for nine years went through various stages of teaching and learning under difficult circumstances.
She said out of the 44 students 16 graduated in Kitchen Skills, nine in Front Office Skills, one in housekeeping Skills, four in Food and Beverage Services, eight in Tour Guarding Skills and six in Banqueting, Conferencing and Event Management.
Madam Ampah said their curriculum which blended theory with practice had given the students a deeper understanding of the various programmes they pursued, while cementing their understanding through hands-on activities by applying knowledge through engaging in real-world projects and therefore ready for the market.
“HOTCATT shall continue fighting until we gain competitive edge over all allied institutions and become a world class, client-oriented hospitality and tourism training institution”, she added.
Mrs Ampah congratulated the graduating students and urged them to dream big by exploring ideas, and using the little resources they had to start something small and not to procrastinate without achieving anything.
Mr Titus Otoo, Director Human Resource Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture expressed satisfaction at the study progress made by the institute since its re-opening knowing the significant contribution it could make to development in the tourism sector.
He said the Minister was confident about the potentials of the institute and was hopeful they would assist in promoting both domestic and international tourism.
He congratulated the graduating student, saying “do not take this as a mere certificate but bring to bear your skills on the industry, and conduct yourselves well in your field of work, and struggle to be self-reliant and not depend so much on government or others.”
Madam Diana Adjirackor, was awarded the best graduating student.
Source: Ghana News Agency
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