Scottish college urges Filipinos to study, work in UK’s HRM sector

Published on Sun.Star Network Online (http://www.sunstar.com.ph)
by Debra Magallon-Estero

WITH 13 million tourists going to Edinburgh, Scotland every year, a Scottish college is inviting Filipino students to enroll in its hotel and restaurant management (HRM) courses and be able to legally work in Scotland’s “most important industry.”
The extensive choices in career paths available to people in Scotland and not many going towards the tourism industry is also a reason the school is extending its invitation overseas.
Julia Weedon, international manager for Edinburgh’s Tel-ford College (ETC), said that despite the global economic slowdownthat has affected various industries, Scotland’s tourism industry is growing.
Tom Mc Gregor, head of ETC’s HRM unit, also said Edinburgh’s Tourist Action Group forecast 24,000 available hospitality jobs between 2007 and 2015.
Weedon said the Scottish Government has a program called Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme (FT:Wiss) to encourage other nationalities to work in Scotland.
Under the FT:Wiss, students who have completed their courses can apply for the program and may be granted permission to work in the United Kingdom for up to two years without a work permit.
To make its HRM course more accessible to Filipinos, ETC has partnered with international training and consulting firm Integrative Learning Institute (IL Institute) under the Study and Work in the UK program.
Under the program, IL Institute will offer a three-year “fast-track degree,” in which—during the first semester of the first year—the student will take the course in the Philippines while his UK visa application is being processed, said Jorge Perez de Tagle, president of IL Institute. In the second semester, the student can take lessons at ETC while working part time 20 hours a week to cover living expenses in Scotland.
“What keeps (our economy) vibrant are the working students in Scotland,” said Weedon, adding that the school will help students in looking for part-time work.
De Tagle said the tuition under the program is “competitive” with the rates of HRM courses offered in Cebu’s top universities.
IL Institute is now accepting applicants for the Study and Work in UK program and the first semester will start in April this year. (DME)
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Source URL: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/scottish-college-urges-filipinos-study-work-uk%E2%80%99s-hrm-sector