SHMA Hospitality Skills and Development Programme holds inaugural graduation ceremony

graduates together with chief guest and delegates

The Skills for Sustainable Growth (SSG) program, a partnership initiated and funded by the Swiss government, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and A. Baur & Co. Pvt. Ltd (Baurs), is making strides in bridging the skills gap, grooming and preparing the youth to take on the numerous opportunities in the hospitality and tourism sector of Sri Lanka. 

Sixty students from two of its learning centres went onto graduate, successfully completing a 9-month training which consists of a 4-month in-classroom learning phase and a 5-month paid internship. 

The SSG project is based on the Swiss Vocational Skills Development (VSD) curriculum, proven to contribute significantly to the hospitality sector and the overall economy. The project will take a lead in bridging the skills gap, instill quality education standards, encourage female participation, and make Sri Lanka not just a most sought-after talent destination for hospitality but also one of the best tourist spots.

The awarding ceremony took place at the Hotel Grand Kandyan, with the presence of Her Excellency Siri Walt, Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka and the Maldives and Doris Manor, First Secretary (Migration) at the Embassy of Switzerland to Sri Lanka the Maldives, Baurs CEO & Managing Director Rolf Blaser, National Youth Corps (NYC) Director Brig. Sujeewa Rathnayake along with NYC staff members, General Managers of partnering hotels, SHMA staff members and facilitators.

The SSG program commenced its first two centres in Naula and Kandy in August last year, followed by ANOTHER in Nuwara Eliya in December, covering all three districts of the central province. 

The project successfully enrolled a total of 206 students in 2023, comprising 152 male students and 54 female students, achieving 26 percent of the female inclusion rate across all three learning centres. 

The SSG program is facilitated by Baurs owned Swiss Hotel Management Academy (SHMA), an education institute that facilitates high-class education at international standards, producing highly qualified hoteliers. 
The project is aimed at aligning and deploying a Swiss Vocational Skills Development (VSD) curriculum that will contribute significantly to NYC, the hospitality sector and the overall economy. 

By the end of this year, a total of ten learning centres will be established with the aim of skilling 2,240 youths by the end of 2025.