Students from the Seychelles Institute of Technology (SIT) will have the opportunity to pursue career opportunities and able to earn work-based experience within hotels under the Hilton brand, through a newly signed memorandum of understanding (MOU)

The MOU was signed on Monday between the Institute and Hilton Seychelles by Vinesh Hurrychurn, senior director of engineering operations from Hilton and the Institute's director, Ferdinand Desnousse.  

Through the agreement, Hilton-managed hotels in Seychelles and the SIT will collaborate in the Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET) sector, with a particular focus on engineering operations within the hospitality industry.

"This agreement is huge for SIT, as students, particularly in the engineering fields will be able to gain valuable experience by working at these hotels in Seychelles, where those who perform well, could even be granted opportunities to work at other Hilton-managed hotels in the region," said Desnousse.

The agreement will see the two entities collaborate and implement educational training programmes in accordance with the curriculum provided by SIT. It will also ensure the alignment with both the Institute and international standards to facilitate the professional development of individuals in the hospitality sector.

The MOU will also present opportunities to plan and conduct events, including career guidance workshops and job fairs, to improve employability within engineering operations in the hospitality sector. It will also allow the exploration of opportunities for Hilton to support SIT in creating innovative approaches to student development.

According to Hilton, who manage six hotels in Seychelles, the collaboration will also encourage qualified SIT students to pursue careers in the hospitality industry by offering internships and employment opportunities at Hilton. Subject to availability, this will strengthen the students' readiness for leadership roles in engineering and implement targeted programs to promote inclusion and diversity within engineering operations in the hospitality sector.

This is the first MOU of its kind to be signed with a hotel, while the SIT has agreements with other local companies, to allow students to gain work experience there.

The Seychelles Institute of Technology is a technical and vocational education and training institution set up in 2015 under the aegis of the Ministry of Education.

At the moment, SIT offers students programmes ranging from certificate to advanced diploma level, in areas such as mechanical engineering, telecommunications, information technology, and automotive engineering, among others.