Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association launches ‘PROPEL’

The Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association (CHSGA), the Alumni of Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) launched ‘PROPEL’, a soft skill development program targeting the final year students of SLITHM. The launch was held on 17 February at the SLITHM Auditorium. The event was graced by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Chairman Paddy Withana and SLITHM Chairman Sunil Dissanyake, together with many distinguished past presidents and members of CHSGA. The inauguration ceremony comprised of the event launch, guest speeches, panel discussions and student forums.

Speaking at the launch, CHSGA President Sanjeeva Perera commented that, “In today’s world of hospitality, where creating an exceptional experience is the defining factor of successful hotel business, it has become imperative to sharpen one’s technical skills, and more importantly, one’s soft skills and it is with this thought that the CHSGA initiated this program.” He also mentioned that the CHSGA has and will always continue its drive to enhance the quality of the Human Resources and man power in the hospitality industry.

Paddy Withana thanked the CHSGA for its continued support extended to SLITHM and praised the CHSGA for its initiatives and also bringing in much needed to expertise to enhance the Human Capital in the country’s hospitality Industry. “Soft Skills is a core competency required by the employees of the industry and being able to inculcate that in the final year students of SLITHM before they go out to the industry is very important,” stated Sunil Dissanayake, adding that steps were taken to introduce 10 principles of Soft Skills to the staff at BMICH and the results and the feedback from customers have been over whelming, which is a testimony to the importance of soft skills in the industry.

‘PROPEL’ is a training module focuses on adding value to the already commendable curriculum of the institute by adding a soft skill development program that would be parallel to the technical skill curriculum. The main objectives of ‘PROPEL’ program is improving the required Soft Skills of Intermediate Level and Final Year Management Diploma students in order for them to be fully competent in today’s challenging hospitality industry while increasing the increasing the employability of students by developing industry needed competencies. This in turn will develop a pool of hospitality leaders to take on the Sri Lankan Hospitality to the future. Through this initiative, CHSGA will further continue its commitment to uplift standards of SLITHM and thereby increasing the brand value of SLITHM and CHSGA to value co-creation.