Dubai, UAE: Aiming to establish itself as an institution dedicated to training the next generation of tourism professionals, The Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) has been officially launched on May, and will be accepting its first batch of students in September 2017.
Edarabia had the privilege of interviewing the General Manager of DCT, Essa Bin Hadher, where he walks us through the courses, goals, and the steps they intend to take in order to achieve them.
Tell us more about the ‘Industry Nationalization initiative’ of the Dubai College of Tourism and Dubai Tourism’s new ‘Medyaf’ initiative. How are these two correlated?
The Meydaf Initiative is Dubai Tourism’s industry nationalisation programme dedicated to attracting more Emirati nationals to pursue a career in Dubai’s Tourism Industry.
It is directed at young UAE nationals, including high school graduates, university students and job seekers, with the aim of increasing awareness of Dubai’s tourism sector amongst Emiratis, and offering training and strong career options within the sector. The programme aims to highlight authentic Emirati culture and will provide UAE Nationals with training that focuses on soft skills and language skill development. After candidates complete the training courses, Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) will assist them in finding a position and provide support as they transition into their new role.
The Dubai College of Tourism will deliver “Vocational educational programmes that will develop key skills, provide practical on-the-job experience” Apart from TAFE SA, who are the key partners of DCT (industry stakeholders) and how will students benefit from them?
Along with TAFE SA the Dubai College of Tourism is supported by the Dubai Government and the Dubai Tourism Industry. The vocational training on offer at DCT has also been designed in partnership with industry stakeholders; students will gain practical experience that will lead to jobs after completion of their study, as well as opportunities for progression within the industry. The college’s educational programmes will initially be given provisional accreditation by KHDA and then once in full operation will complete the process of fulfilling the requirements for KHDA Accreditation.
The Dubai College of Tourism will deliver Vocational Training in five specializations: Tourism Management, Hospitality Management, Event Management, Retail Management and Culinary Arts. The programmes are designed to combine theory based classroom training with hands-on practical on-the-job experience.
The college’s approach will benefit student by preparing them with a combination of vocationally focused theory based classroom training and hands-on practical on-the-job experience that will lead to job placement after successful completion of their curriculum. The programmes will provide students with the ‘real-world’ experiences that will enable them to take full advantage of career progression opportunities as they become available.
Another important component of DCT is that it has established an ‘Advisory Board’ of industry professionals within Dubai’s Tourism Sector. The board is comprised of key professionals that will ensure the course and faculties offered are current and relevant to the tourism industry, meeting the needs of both learners and employers.
What are some of vocational courses that will be made available to students?
DCT’s practical and flexible vocational courses have been designed to bridge the gap between in-house training and a full bachelor’s degree and are focused around five core faculties – Tourism, Events, Hospitality, Retail and Culinary Arts.
DCT’s theory-based practical vocationally focused courses have been designed to meet the needs between corporate in-house Human Resources and Learning Development Centers and credit for learning certificate and diploma programmes. The college’s ultimate goal is to create opportunities for both learners and employers.
DCT will launch its first full time programme, ‘Introduction to the Tourism Industry’, this coming September 2017. This comprehensive course will equip students with an overview of the tourism industry including a two-week practical internship. Students will be exposed to the basic skills they need to succeed in this fast paced, growing and dynamic business sector.
The course also features a module on each of DCT’s five faculties which will help students decide the direction they would like their career to take. Individual and in-depth certificate and diploma courses for each faculty will be introduced from January 2018 onwards.
Are programmes specifically tailored for Emirati youth?
Dubai College of Tourism’s main academic courses are open to anyone interested in a career in Dubai’s thriving tourism industry. The ‘job-focused’ vocational training on offer at DCT is designed for high school leavers who do not want to continue with academic study and would like a clear path to a myriad of exciting and rewarding career opportunities. This training will appeal to those students, both expat and Emirati, who want to study, work and succeed in the city they have grown up in and call home.
With Expo 2020 fast approaching, what role does DCT intend to play as part of this major event?
DCT has been opened in line with Dubai Tourism’s strategy to help create world-class tourism professionals to meet the goal of welcoming 20 million visitors to the city by 2020. With Dubai’s tourism sector set to employ a workforce of more than half a million by 2020, dedicated vocational training for the industry has never been more important. DCT’s practical and ‘job-focused’ courses will ensure a steady pipeline of highly-trained tourism professionals for the city in time for 2020 and beyond.
Twitter