Les Roches Global Hospitality Education, a prestigious Swiss hospitality school, has partnered with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHTAEF) to provide partial scholarships for Caribbean nationals seeking undergraduate degrees at the institution.
Les Roches, whose main campus is in Bluche, Switzerland, will supplement CHTAEF's annual $5,000 bursary each year with a 20 to 25 percent scholarship for each recipient over three and a half years. In total, the two scholarships will cover roughly 50 percent of the tuition. Students must pursue a bachelor’s in business administration in Global Hospitality Management.
Karolin Troubetzkoy, chairwoman of CHTAEF, tells Travel Agent that the foundation receives roughly 70 to 90 applications per year and that Les Roches admits 12 to 15 Caribbean students across its campuses every year—but the school has been increasing its profile within Caribbean countries and territories for students who are interested in hospitality programs. Of the dozen-plus students who will be accepted into the program, only two will receive the scholarships. Students will be able to pick from the main campus or the one located in Marbella, Spain.
In a written release Troubetzkoy, who is also executive director of Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain in St. Lucia, said the ultimate goal of the partnership is to make the Caribbean a global luxury destination.
The CHTAEF already has educational partnerships with Johnson and Wales University and the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University.
The Les Roches program will expose students to a range of sectors in the hospitality industry with theoretical and practical work and regular internships in recognized hotels, restaurants and related institutions. Les Roches even offers internship opportunities within the Caribbean and several graduates work at properties in the region.
“The educational excellence provided by Les Roches and all our academic partner institutions helps elevate the Caribbean hospitality industry at all levels,” Troubetzkoy says. “The training opportunities available through Les Roches will help existing and new luxury brands draw from a wider resource pool of regional expertise. This initiative helps resorts to meet their human resource requirements to deliver world-class experiences, as well as increases employment opportunities for Caribbean nationals at home.”
Founded in 1954, Les Roches Global Hospitality Education is a private institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in the fields of hospitality, business and event management. Les Roches, accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, is ranked No. 3 of the world's top institutions for hospitality and leisure management and No. 3 worldwide for employer reputation (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019). For more information, visit www.lesroches.edu.
For more information about CHTAEF, visit www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com/about-the-foundation.
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