SHMA facilitates Nestlé Lanka’s drive to upskill hospitality professionals in country

From right: Baurs MD and CEO Rolf Blaser exchanges agreement with Nestlé Lanka PLC Managing Director Jason Avanceña

The Swiss Hotel Management Academy (SHMA) of A. Baur & Co. (Pvt.) Ltd recently partnered with Nestlé Lanka PLC, as part of its private sector synergies aimed at upskilling young and rising talent in the sector.
The Swiss Hotel Management Academy (SHMA) of A. Baur & Co. (Pvt.) Ltd is licensed to deliver the vocational education training (VET) by EHL Professional Diploma programme from the pioneer in hospitality education since 1893, with over 25,000 alumni worldwide and over 120 nationalities, École hôtelière de Lausanne.
The agreement was signed in December, last year between A. Baur & Co. Pvt Ltd (Baurs) Managing Director and CEO Rolf Blaser and Nestlé Lanka PLC Managing Director Jason Avanceña in the presence of officials representing both Baurs and Nestle Lanka, including senior delegates from the Chefs Guild of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Hospitality Graduates Association (SLHGA).

As the largest food and beverage company in the world, with an unwavering commitment and contribution towards healthier families, empowered communities and a greener Sri Lanka for over 115 years, Nestlé Lanka took the initiative to fully sponsor the prestigious VET Professional Diploma of EHL for participants within the industry, enhancing their skills and qualifying them with the best hospitality certification available out there.
The primary objective of this private sector synergy is to equip many with a world-class education from VET by EHL, building on their years of experience. The students were awarded scholarships on January 9, following the registration and enrolment into the programme and the diplomas programmes will be facilitated by EHL-certified facilitators and industry veterans at SHMA.

The participants were exempted from the foundation level based on their previous industrial experiences and skills, allowing them direct enrolment to the intermediate level, following the advanced diploma programme through an apprenticeship approach in their current workplace, which will be monitored and evaluated by SHMA. 
The apprenticeship comprises an intense weekly one-day theoretical and practical learning followed by a comprehensive five-day ‘on-the-job’ training. SHMA is the first hospitality management institute in Sri Lanka to offer an apprenticeship model through the VET by EHL programmes and has signed up numerous partner hotels with many more joining.