A group of 11 students from the Advanced Diploma in Hotel Management (ADHM) Programme at the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) will undergo a six-month internship with Universal Resorts in the Maldives.

The students, who will leave Seychelles on Saturday, received their plane tickets and insurance documents in a small sending-off ceremony at the Academy's premises on Wednesday. They will return on January 24, 2025.

During the ceremony, the STA's interim director, Richard Mathiot, urged the students to remain disciplined, committed and devoted, to succeed.

"Use this opportunity and create a pathway for others who will go to Maldives soon and ensure that you learn as much as you can, so that you can share this knowledge to others later on," he said.

The programme's cohort has 13 students and 11 will head to Maldives, while two students chose to complete their internship locally.

The second year of the ADHM programme is a 12-month operative work placement. According to a press release from the STA, overseas placement is an essential part of the programme as it plays a very important role for the student's personal and professional development.

The structure of the placement is six months of specialisation overseas and a six-month rotation locally. The learners will cover the following departments - Kitchen, Restaurant and Bar, Housekeeping and Front Office.  

The student will be placed in Milaidhoo, Dhigali, Kurumba, Kuramathi, and Baros. They will be accompanied by the industry placement coordinator at the STA, Gemma Camille.

Meanwhile, two lecturers from the Academy will benefit from this partnership, with Beryl Cupidon and Jourdanne Solin, set to participate in a two-week cross-exposure programme at Universal Resorts.

Universal Resorts operates eight resorts in Maldives and have been present in the country for over 50 years.