SWC tourism students enjoy fun in Carribean sun

BY CALLUM McGUIGAN

South West College staff and students took to the sunny islands of the Caribbean for a two week development programme.

Students from the Tourism and Hospitality Management Foundation Degree in South West College (SWC) went to the Caribbean island of Aruba as part of an educational two-week programme as part of an Erasmus+ project. Though the islands small size of 193 km2, it is home to 103,000 inhabitants and sees a tourism industry that welcomes two million visitors every year. The tourism sector is the islands main industry, amassing 90 per-cet of the island’s GDP, and over 80 per-cent of its employment.

In the two-week programme, students from South West College undertook shared classes with the Aruban students from the EPI Colegio college, which has a student population of 1,800.

The students developed knowledge and experience through various classes in law, accountancy and hospitality management throughout their time on the island.

This project was in partnership with Erasmus+, which is an EU funded programme to support education and training in Europe with a strong focus on social inclusion and young people’s participation in democratic life.

Damian James, who is the Deputy Head of School for Business Management and Specialist Education, spoke about their time away in the hot sun.

“The visit to Aruba is a wonderful learning experience for South West College students,” he said. “The trip gives them an unrivalled opportunity of working with international peers and meeting key industry figures in the Caribbean where tourism plays a huge part in the economic growth and development of the region.

“Students were able to meet the management teams from some of the island’s largest and most prestigious hotels including the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort and The Ritz-Carlton Aruba and this visit as a compliment to their studies will undoubtedly prepare them for careers in the local and international hospitality and tourism sectors.”

More information is available about the Tourism and Hospitality Management courses online at ‘swc.ac.uk/subject-area/travel-tourism’.