The Samoa Tourism Authority (S.T.A) has signed an agreement with the Samoa Business Hub (S.B.H), Australia Pacific Training Coalition (A.P.T.C) and the National University of Samoa (N.U.S) to provide training for redundant employees in the tourism industry.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the S.T.A. conference room in Apia.

The training comes under the Government’s stimulus package as a way to support tourism sector employees that have been made redundant with the idea to maintain the level of knowledge or capacity of the employees until things open up again.

The stimulus package provided by the Government for the tourism is to provide salaries for those that have been made jobless due to the Covid-19 financial downturn in providing training opportunities for those people.

The training will be based on the four courses, the cookery, food and beverage, tour guiding as well as front office and accommodation services which focus as priorities that’s been highlighted in the industry.

With the three delivering agencies of the training, they will be able to cater for the different levels of employees in the sector as they have different qualifications each.

A survey was done to identify areas that can better help support the training.

The training will officially start next month.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer during an interview, the Chief Executive Officer of S.B.H, Vaitulia Alatina Ioelu said this is a golden opportunity for the selected trainees to upskill, make more money and is more employable.

“This programme is to make sure that there’s something for everyone and it’s formal qualification which we brought in,” he said.

“They’re not just certificates that anyone usually gets from any training these are actually formally recognised accredited certificates that you can use as certificates.

“This is a golden opportunity and is something no one can take away from you and it’s something that’s going to benefit you as an employee and as a professional and if you want to continue on further into education.

“I think the main idea is, the sector is going through a bit of a rough path at this stage but the idea is that employees of the sector should be kept up to dated and with their skills.

“Also with the idea that when things open up, our forces is still capable of joining back into employment.”

Dr. Rafia Naz, Dean for the Faculty of Business and Entrepreneurship within N.U.S said the training opportunities are a great way to leverage the key strengths they have at the university.