Brunei announces pre-APEC hospitality training scheme

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN - July 24: Brunei announced Monday that it had awarded a contract to the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) to train some 1,500 local young people in the tourism and hospitality industry ahead of the APEC 2000 meetings in November.

The training will also help Brunei prepare for Visit Brunei Year and the ASEAN Tourism Forum in 2001, said Abdul Wahab Juned, Director-General of the National Economic Council's secretariat.

"Our intention is not only short-term, … but for these people to be trained to take up opportunities in the tourism industry post-APEC," Mr. Abdul Wahab stressed.

An initial budget of 1.1 million Brunei dollars was earmarked for the programme, which was open both to local residents seeking employment and to employers such as hotels and travel agencies wishing to upgrade staff skills, he said.

With world leaders scheduled to converge on Brunei in November, Jenny Arkle, business development manager for CIT, said the initial training periods would be short, but "very focused … training for specific skills to meet the needs of the hotel and tourism industry."

In November, the sultanate of Brunei will play host to some 6,000 delegates from the 21 APEC member economies, and up to 2,000 representatives of world press organizations.

 

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