INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group (IHG) and IL&FS Institute of Skills (IIS), one of India’s largest skills development organisations, recently announced the launch of the 15th IHG Academy programme in India, joining over 300 IHG Academy programmes globally. The partnership will see IIS providing IHG approved vocational hospitality training across the country as part of the programme. Following the three-month course, participants are able to apply for roles at IHG hotels in India and across the globe.
The IHG Academy is a pioneering global collaboration between IHG and local education providers. The programme aims to provide people with skills development and employment opportunities and create a sustainable talent pipeline for IHG. The partnership with IIS is IHG’s first vocational programme in the country. On his visit to IIS in New Delhi, Richard Solomons, chief executive officer, IHG commented, “We pride ourselves on the great experience we offer guests in India and around the world. The only way we can achieve this is to have well-qualified, passionate teams. “In India, we have the task of recruiting 10,000 new employees over the next three to five years as we open the 45 hotels in our development pipeline. One of the most effective ways for us to achieve this is to train for the required skills through structured skill development programmes like this one. “This partnership with IL&FS Skills will make a big difference to these students and enables us to actively contribute to our local communities in a meaningful and lasting way.”The programme supplements IHG’s on-going support of the Indian Government’s ‘Hunar Se Rozgaar’ initiative, launched to create employable skills for young adults aged 18 to 28 years old.Students will be trained to IHG’s rigorous and world-class standards whilst also gaining thorough knowledge and understanding of the Indian hospitality sector. The training programme is divided in two sessions of 45 days each, mixing theory and practical classes. In their first session, students will be trained on the English language and soft skills using the latest technology. During the second part of the programme, IHG will provide on-the-job training to give the young students an opportunity to put into practice what they have learnt. A special emphasis will be placed on recruiting women into the programme, with the aim of mobilising the female workforce. In order to ensure consistency and compliance with National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) requirements, a candidate selection process is held to recruit the right participants. As with all IHG Academy programmes worldwide, a passion for delivering great service to guests is a prerequisite for those who have an interest in entering the programme. Upon completion of the three-month training, candidates will benefit from being more employable and will also have the opportunity of employment in an IHG hotel including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express.