GIS – 21 July 2016: Government intends to make of technical education an attractive educational option as we want it to be a viable pathway for the acquisition of skills and competencies, said the Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, yesterday in Ebène. The Minister was speaking at the launching of a Training programme in Food and Beverage Service for the Unemployed at the MITD (Mauritius Institute of Training and Development), Ecole Hôtelière Sir Gaëtan Duval. The programme aims at training 1 000 unemployed persons to become waiters with the right knowledge, skills and attitudes so that they can then join the labour market.
In her address, the Minister observed that we are still operating in an environment where technical, but especially vocational education, is considered as having a blue-collar stigma. The fact that learners are naturally gifted and have preferences for activities that are more meaningful to them are sometimes ignored, she pointed out.
However, said Mrs Dookun-Luchoomun, there is every reason to encourage the youth to follow their aptitude for technical and vocational fields since many of the skills that are needed for successful competition in the present global market are skills that fall squarely into the technical and vocational area.
The programme
The training programme in Food and Beverage Service for the Unemployed will be run over a one and a half year period. It has been mounted in view of the constant demand for trained waiters from hotels, restaurants, cafés, cruise companies as well as from fast food and other catering outlets.
MITD
Promoting excellence in technical, vocational education and training, the MITD is a body corporate established under Act 12 of 2009 and operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research. It took over the activities of the ex-Industrial and Vocational Training Board (ex-IVTB) and part of the ex-Technical School Management Trust Fund (ex-TSMTF) as from November 2009.
The Institute offers courses in various sectors namely: agro industry, automotive, beauty care and hairdressing, building construction and civil engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, handicraft, information and communications technology, jewellery, management, mechanical engineering, printing, textile and apparel, tourism and hospitality, and wood trades.
Government Information Service, Prime Minister’s Office, Level 6, New Government Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius. Email: gis@govmu.org Website:http://gis.govmu.org