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Education&You

Sunway's brand of hospitality training one a r e the d a y s w h e n a c a r e e r i n hosp i -

. . t a l i t y w a s cons idered a " l a s t r e s o r t " or a f i e l d for a c a d e m i c a l l y w e a k s tudents .

T o u r i s m b e i n g a m a j o r i n d u s t r y i n the c o u n t r y c a l l s for a w o r k f o r c e t h a t i s w e l l t r a i n e d i n m o r e w a y s t h a n one, a n d c e r t a i n l y percept i ons i n t h i s a r e a have changed , g i v i n g the i n d u s t r y the r e c o g n i t i o n i t deserves .

B u t one t h i n g s u r e l y h a s not changed a n d i s not l i k e l y to: the w o r k e r m u s t be p r e p a r e d for a c h a l l e n g i n g f i e l d w h e r e l o n g h o u r s a n d u n p r e d i c t a b l e days a r e a c o m m o n t h i n g .

F o r those w i t h the r i g h t a t t i tude , one p lace for t r a i n i n g i s S u n w a y Col lege ' s Schoo l of H o s p i t a l i t y a n d T o u r i s m M a n a g e m e n t w h i c h c a n l a y c l a i m to be ing a leader i n the f i e ld .

A c o n d u c i v e l e a r n i n g e n v i r o n m e n t i s a m o n g the most i m p o r t a n t t h i n g s the s tudent s h o u l d look out for a n d the schoo l h a s t h i s -l o c a t e d i n t h e v i c i n i t y o f m a j o r h o t e l s , t o u r i s m c o m p a n i e s a n d t o u r i s t a t t r a c t i o n s l i k e S u n w a y L a g o o n R e s o r t H o t e l a n d S u n w a y L a g o o n T h e m e P a r k . T h e s t u d e n t bene f i t s f r o m a l a r g e u n i v e r s i t y c a m p u s e n v i r o n m e n t

w i t h i n a c i t y complete w i t h spor ts f a c i l i t i e s , o n - c a m p u s h o s t e l a c c o m m o d a t i o n , spacious p a r k i n g , surau, a wel l - s tScked bookshop, con­v e n i e n c e store, launderette and 24-hour secu­r i t y s e r v i c e .

T h e schoo l , headed by i t s d irector , M a e T a n , i n c o r p o r a t e s s ta te - o f - the -ar t t e a c h i n g f a c i l i t i e s a n d s tudents have access to the most c o m p r e h e n s i v e a n d a d v a n c e d f a c i l i t i e s t h a t few o ther l o c a l p r i v a t e i n s t i t u t i o n s c a n offer: l i b r a r y , we l l - equ ipped c o m p u t e r l a b o r a t o r i e s , a i r - c ond i t i oned rooms , l e c t u r e theatres , t r a i n ­i n g r e s t a u r a n t a n d d e l i cafe, p r o d u c t i o n a n d p a s t r y k i t c h e n s , f i v e - s t a r f r o n t off ice, a n d h o u s e k e e p i n g su i te .

S t u d e n t s a re a lso a s s u r e d of e x p e r i e n c e d a n d w e l l - q u a l i f i e d staff , a n d o c c a s i o n a l l y v i s ­i t i n g e x p e r t s f r o m overseas u n i v e r s i t i e s to e n s u r e a l l r e l e v a n t t e a c h i n g m a t e r i a l s a r e up-to-date a n d s y n o n y m o u s w i t h the changes i n the i n d u s t r y

T h e type of p r o g r a m m e s offered of course, shou ld also matter. T h e r e ' s the Cert i f i ca te i n Hote l & R e s t a u r a n t Operat ions that covers s u c h Play time ... the school's Tourism major students take a break at the Riviera Bay Resort

Hotel in Malacca recently.

areas as front office management , hosp i ta l i ­t y a n d t o u r i s m law, and cost account ing for the i n d u s t r y

T h e D i p l o m a i n H o s p i t a l i t y & T o u r i s m Management , open to S P M school l eavers a n d those w i t h equ iva lent qua l i f i ca t ions , prov ides the knowledge of the v a s t t o u r i s m a n d t r a v e l bus iness , des t inat ion and s e r v i c e management , f o cus ing on p r e p a r i n g s t u ­dents for potent ia l careers i n the pub l i c a n d p r i v a t e sectors. T h e two-year course covers s u c h areas as t o u r i s m r e s e a r c h methodolo­gy, B u s i n e s s E n g l i s h , persona l development s k i l l s a n d a i r f a r e s a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l t i cket ­ing .

T h e r e ' s a lso the degree i n hote l a n d r e s t a u r a n t management offered i n collabo­r a t i o n w i t h Ox ford B r o o k e s U n i v e r s i t y T h e degree is designed to develop effective a n d innovat ive m a n a g e r s w i t h vocat i ona l a n d m a n a g e r i a l s k i l l s .

T h e u n i v e r s i t y h a s a h i s t o r y of academic ach ievements d a t i n g back to i ts o r i g i n s as a college of a r t i n 1865. S ince a c h i e v i n g u n i ­v e r s i t y status i n 1992, i t h a s seen The Times Good University Guide r a n k i n g i t top n e w u n i v e r s i t y i n B r i t a i n for four consecutive y e a r s f r om 1996.

T h e u n i v e r s i t y h a s s t rong l i n k s w i t h the

hotel , r e s t a u r a n t a n d c a t e r i n g profess ions , key e lements at the degree leve l .

T h e d u r a t i o n of the course i s four semes­t e r s a n d c a n be comple ted w i t h i n 16 months . Students who have completed the school 's d ip loma p r o g r a m m e may e a r n the degree w i t h i n four a cademic semesters .

L o c a l l y the school g a i n s f r om i t l i n k s w i t h es tab l i shments that help w i t h the s t u ­dent ' s p r a c t i c a l t r a i n i n g . S t u d e n t s a r e r e q u i r e d to undergo 15 w e e k s (Cer t i f i ca te ) or 20 weeks ( D i p l o m a ) of S u p e r v i s e d W o r k E x p e r i e n c e i n a n y of the S u n w a y G r o u p ' s

.wor ld c lass hotels, r e s t a u r a n t s or other f ive-s t a r h o s p i t a l i t y e s t a b l i s h m e n t s s u c h as M a n d a r i n O r i e n t a l , T h e R i t z - C a r l t o n , T h e Regent, S h a n g r i - L a Hote l , a n d R e n a i s s a n c e Hotel .

Students rece ive a v a r i e t y of p r a c t i c a l s k i l l s to f u l f i l i n d u s t r y r e q u i r e m e n t s . F u r t h e r m o r e , s u p e r v i s e d w o r k exper ience prov ides a p r a c t i c a l b a s i s for u n d e r s t a n d ­i n g subjects to be studied i n the advanced stage of the course.

P l a c e m e n t s t ra teg i es , i t i s s a i d , have been so success fu l that m a n y employers offer s tudents r e w a r d i n g , f u l l - t i m e pos i ­t ions w h e n they graduate.

More details, call 03-7358622.

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