I Media Release 23 April, 2015 Minister Joan Burton TD, Tánaiste

I Media Release
23 April, 2015
Minister Joan Burton TD, Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection launches
TOURISM INSIGHT Pilot Programme at National Hospitality Manager’s Conference 2015
Pictured at the Conference were (from left): Natasha Kinsella, Chief Executive, Irish Hospitality
Institute (IHI), Nicky Logue, President IHI, Minister Joan Burton TD, Tánaiste and Minister for Social
Protection, Dr. Tom Farrelly and Mary Rose Stafford both of Institute of Technology, Tralee.
Media Release:
Minister Joan Burton TD, Tanaiste and Minister for Social Protection today (Thursday, 23rd April,
2015) launched the TOURISM INSIGHT Pilot Programme, a new innovative online pilot programme to
introduce Transition Year Students to the world of tourism and to inform them about careers within
the sector at The National Hospitality Managers’ Hospitality Leadership Conference and AGM at
Croke Park Stadium, Dublin.1 with over 130 delegates in attendance.
TOURISM INSIGHT is a proposed pilot induction programme which responds to the Tourism Policy
Strategy 2014. There has been a serious gap in promoting the potential of careers in the Tourism
Industry and now, for the first time, State, Education and Industry have aligned to develop a
strategic alliance in promoting careers in tourism, particularly focussed to transition year students.
The programme has been created by The Irish Hospitality Institute (IHI) in conjunction with Institute
of Technology Tralee and is supported and funded by Fáilte Ireland, all of whom have collaborated
and developed a pilot programme aimed directly at Transition Year Students and Guidance
Counsellors.
Research was undertaken to test the pilot supported by Dublin Institute of Technology; Griffith
College, Dublin and Shannon College of Hotel Management who hosted workshops and IT Tralee
have translated the content of the research into an online interactive tool.
Fáilte Ireland has funded the two initial modules, one of which focussed on the tourists who visit
Ireland; why they come; what they do in Ireland and their spending habits. The second module
focusses on careers in the Tourism industry in a very broad sense; the range of jobs and the links
with training, education and career opportunities. Involvement from the Tourism Industry including
representative bodies, service providers and local authorities will now be required to support the
development and roll out of the other three modules nationally.
Speaking at the IHI Conference, Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, T.D. who
opened the Conference said: “The Government acknowledges the vital role that tourism is playing in
our national and regional economic recovery. We’ve added more than 90,000 jobs since the launch
of our twin strategies to increase employment – Pathways to Work and the Action Plan for Jobs.
And the tourism industry has been absolutely central to this. The innovative programme that you
have developed for transition year students will open many doors for them, offering them a vast
range of options to a bright and exciting future in the tourism industry. The Government is
committed to working with you in developing such programmes and in creating career opportunities
in the tourism sector in Ireland.”
During his opening address to the conference, IHI President, Nicky Logue FIHI said “This programme
has enormous potential to direct school leavers to the opportunities offered through a professional
career in tourism. With so many options open to young people now, it is vital that a career in
tourism should be presented as an attractive option in order to influence second level students
making career choices in regard to training and to third level education.”
The IHI Conference was chaired by Ivan Yates, Newstalk Broadcaster and Author. The main speakers
included Jim Gavin, Dublin Senior Football Manager; James Tynan, Vice President – Asset
Management for Hilton Worldwide; and Miriam Kennedy, Head of Business Tourism & Events, Fáilte
Ireland.
An open discussion followed titled “Lessons from Leaders” was facilitated by an industry panel
including Una Halligan, Chairperson, Expert Group on Future Skills Needs; Frank Gleeson, MD
Aramark; Paul Gallagher, GM Buswells Hotel and incoming Chairman, Irish Tourism Industry
Confederation and Michael Vaughan, Owner/Manager Vaughan’s Lodge Hotel.
Olympic Gold Medallist, Katie Taylor, Aramark’s Right Track Health and Wellness Ambassador, was
guest of honour at the Conference lunch which was sponsored and designed by Aramark’s on-site
culinary team at Croke Park Stadium. The Pallas Food approved suppliers who supported today’s
showcase included some of the finest Irish producers who are focussed on building sales and growth
within the health and wellbeing foodservice market in Ireland.
Our conference sponsor kindly supported by Bitbuzz, Ireland’s fastest Wi-Fi provider. Our media
Partner was The Irish Times. Additional support was provided by Bewleys, Clare Springs, CaterHire
Pictaural and Croke Park Hotel.
http://app.pictaural.ie/ihi/ or QR code for all Smart Phones
Tweet about the Conference at #ihi15
Full lunch detail also included.
For further information, please contact:
Natasha Kinsella, CEO, Irish Hospitality Institute
Tel: 01 6624790 E: chiefexecutive@ihi.ie
Mary Patricia Gallagher, Gallagher & Associates
Tel: 01 2980298 Mob: 087 2461393 E: mp@gallagher-assoc.com
CONFERENCE SPONSOR:
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