The future of Queensland’s $25 billion tourism industry is in good hands with a new cohort of students set to graduate this month from TAFE Queensland’s, Queensland Hotel and Hospitality School.
Shantelle Wall is one of the students about to complete a Certificate III in Hospitality (International Hospitality Service Program) and said this training has brought her a step closer to fulfilling her dream of one day owning and running her own restaurant.
Shantelle, who completed Year 12 in 2018, was a recipient of the Free TAFE training initiative and said she has been able to kick start her career at no cost, allowing her to gain the knowledge and develop the skills she needs to achieve her goals. “I don’t have a lot of money and I am not from a wealthy background, so the funding has definitely helped me with pursuing my dream to work in the hospitality industry.
“Launched in 2015, the Queensland Hotel and Hospitality School (QHHS) works closely with industry to develop content for graduates who are able to go straight into frontline food and beverage roles with luxury five-star properties. TAFE Queensland Operations Manager and Partnership Manager QHHS, Alison Eccles said it’s important that Queensland is able to meet the demand for high-end hospitality workers.
“By 2022 we expect to have an additional 56,000 people working in the tourism and hospitality industry state-wide,” Ms Eccles said.
“We offer our students a unique opportunity to train and learn first-hand what it is really like to work in a premier property.”
With more five-star properties in the works at the $3.5 billion Queens Wharf project, Ms Eccles said that whilst there will be lots of jobs advertised in the coming years, applicants need to stand out from the thousands of other hopefuls that are sure to apply.
Shantelle is on track to graduate in June this year and aspires to further her studies with a Diploma of Hospitality Management. She has also recently completed ten weeks of placement at two different five-star city hotels and was thrilled to be a offered a role with one of them upon completion of her studies. “After learning more about the hospitality industry in class and in the hope of owning my own business one day, I want to further develop my hospitality management skills to solve complex problems in a real-life team environment,” Shantelle said.
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