UNITAR Partners With MTC To Reskill Workers In Hospitality & Tourism
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UNITAR International University (“UNITAR”) has formed a partnership with Malaysia Tourism Council (“MTC”) and will create an Edu-Tourism Hub for the Hospitality & Tourism industry to reskill retrenched workers.
The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly affected the hospitality and tourism industry in Malaysia, largely due to the government mandated lockdowns and inability to accommodate foreign visitors. While the lockdown initiatives were necessary to limit the spread of the virus, they resulted in a drastic decline in business for the hospitality & tourism industry.
“Workers in tourism industry need to embrace the use of technology Hence, investment in skills upgrading and training during this downtime is critical, as we seek to enable the industry to emerge stronger and transformed in the new normal. With this collaboration between MTC and UNITAR , workers in tourism and hospitality businesses should be able to pick up new capabilities in preparinf for future challenges” , said Uzaidi Udanis, President of Malaysia Tourism Council.
UNITAR, in collaboration with MTC, has recognised these issues and is providing solutions for these critical problems. In order to create a sustainable future for the industry, UNITAR and MTC will form a multicultural Edu-Tourism hub offering the relevant training and education required for the industry, post-pandemic. “With this collaboration, we hope to bring great changes. We must rethink, relearn, and innovate. That is the way to move forward and propel the hospitality & tourism industry of Malaysia to new heights,” said Profesor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Ir. Dr. Sahol Hamid bin Abu Bakar, Vice Chancellor of UNITAR.
Already established as the first virtual university in Southeast Asia, UNITAR will be the pioneer university to collaborate with MTC to offer a fully online learning environment for hospitality & tourism education. UNITAR’s reputation as the first university in Asia to receive a 5-Star Rating in the Online Learning category by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) will prove to be instrumental in this initiative.
UNITAR prepares their students for the global workplace by providing opportunities to experience a truly international learning environment, through their academic programmes and micro-credentials. This collaboration aims to upskill and reskill retrenched workers displaced by the pandemic by preparing them for new job opportunities, which will result in the creation of new segments and embracing a rebranding of the tourism industry post- pandemic.
Additionally, UNITAR is focused on working with MTC, and its’ key players, to push Malaysia’s economic recovery plan for the tourism industry by offering hospitality related courses to upskill employees and agency owners under MTC.
Educational tourism will play an integral part to build Malaysia as a sustainable gateway for tourism, business, investment, and affordable high-quality education. The formation of this Edu-Tourism hub brings great opportunity to set Malaysia as a premier destination for top international students.
UNITAR and MTC trust this collaboration will create a strong impact on both the short and long-term of the hospitality & tourism industry in Malaysia.
To find out more regarding the programmes offered, please visit www.unitar.my
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