TUI Academy Sri Lanka
Opening up new perspectives for young people in Sri Lanka through hospitality training
-
3 year
partnership
-
5
month training
-
150
local young graduates
Partner
We are partnering with TUI Care Foundation on the first TUI Academy in Sri Lanka, through our youth employment programme. TUI Care Foundation is TUI Group’s corporate foundation.
Why we are doing this
- Twenty per cent of Sri Lanka’s youth are unemployed putting them at risk of poverty and exploitation.
- Over 100,000 new jobs in tourism will be created in Sri Lanka in the next ten years, which could provide a much-needed source of youth employment.
About this project
Our training programme prepares students for decent employment in the growing hospitality industry and reduces their risk of poverty and exploitation from unemployment.
What we are doing
During the three-year partnership, we offer young people access to training and experience within a hotel.
After their five-month training, we are aiming for 150 young people to graduate and be fully prepared and motivated to pursue a career in the hotel industry.
The students learn life skills and English – tailored for hospitality – at the Aitken Spence Hospitality School. This is followed by three months of practical experience in several departments and specialist training with a leading hotel company. The students are then supported to progress into jobs at the partner hotels, or other hotels and tourism-related employers within the community.
Who we are helping
This programme works with SOS Children’s Village to reach vulnerable young people from the local community who might not otherwise have access to this opportunity.
This includes people who’ve grown up without parents, in a difficult family setting or may have experienced various forms of exploitation, alcoholism or domestic violence. The programme also encourages young women to take part to give them the confidence and independence start a career.
We are working with young people in Colombo and the Bentota Region in Sri Lanka. The programme is also supporting disadvantaged young people from the surrounding communities of Galle, Peraliya, Gandara, Piliyandala, Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya and Jaffna.
“The youth are an inspiration to all of us. We would like to empower these young women and men to start a career in tourism and pave their way for a successful and self-determined future.”
Ms Dagmar Wöhrl, Board Member of the TUI Care Foundation
“This valuable initiative will provide education to less privileged children and will give them the chance to start a better life. I am sure it will be successfully contributing to the sustainable development of tourism in our country.”
Mr Karu Jayasuriya, The Hon. Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
Implementing partners
In Sri Lanka, we are working with Aitken Spence Hospitality School to deliver the hospitality training and support the trainees.
Hotel partners
We work with local hotels from world-leading brands to provide practical training across the housekeeping, kitchen and F&B departments.
Help us to change the lives of more young people
Please get in touch if you are interested in supporting or participating in our youth employment programme operating in multiple countries around the world.
