The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture with the financial assistance from the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) is reviewing and updating the existing curriculum for the Hotel Catering and Tourism Training Institute (HOTCATT) to reflect the modern and global sustainable trends taking place in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Consequently, a 13-member technical committee has been commissioned by the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal to review and update the academic curriculum for HOTCATT.
HOTCATT was established by the Government of Ghana to train middle level students in hotel, catering, and tourism services.
The state of the institute currently; however, shows that the principles under-pinning the establishment of the school have been eroded due to the loss of focus in the training of students, lack of qualified personnel, poor curriculum content of the institute, as well as poor teaching materials, equipment and learning environment.
A Technical Committee was therefore put together by the Minister to initiate actions and appropriate recommendations for the restructuring of HOTCATT. Some of the key recommendations of the Technical Committee which needed immediate implementation include the need for a reviewed and updated curriculum for HOTCATT; retraining of instructors, lecturers, and establishment of a strategic and action plan to guide the institute.
At a brief ceremony to inaugurate a Technical Committee to review the school’s curriculum on Monday, 31 May 2021, Dr. Awal expressed his optimism the committee would live up to their mandate as they are carefully chosen from diverse backgrounds with rich experiences in their respective fields in tourism and hospitality.
“We cannot overstate the importance of tourism in national development, so we hope to come up with a sustainable tourism strategy and action plan for HOTCATT, capable of addressing modern and global sustainability trends taking place in Ghana’s tourism and hospitality industry,” the Minister added.
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) is also collaborating with UNEP to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns in the tourism value and supply chains which is crucial to increasing the growth and transformation of the sector and its linkages with other sectors of the economy.
This will consequently restructure HOTCATT into a viable National Hotel and Tourism Training Institute which will translate into significant socio-economic benefits that would contribute to the national development.
In addition to the overall objective of reviewing and updating HOTCATT’s curriculum, the newly inaugurated committee is to ensure that deadlines are met in the delivery and submission of reports to UNEP.
The Hon. Minister tasked the Technical Committee to complete it assignment by the end of October this year to submit its report.
Committee Members
- John Yao Agbeko – Chief Director, MoTAC
- Otto Langmang – Director HR, MoTAC
- Rev. R.K Kwadzofio – AG. Director, Du Bois Centre
- Petrina-Etu-Mantey Parkins – Director, HOTCATT
- Theophilus Tetteh Zoglah – Director, COTVET
- Ekow Sampson – Deputy CEO, Ghana Tourism Authority
- Kwasi Anim- Larbi – Director HR, Ghana Tourism Authority
- Eyison Kwesi – Vice President, Ghana Tourism Federation
- John Mensah Anang – Ag.Director-General, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
- Dr. Joseph Ansah – Senior Lecturer, GIMPA
- Letitia Nyaaba Tuekpe Dep. Director Ghana National Cleaner Production
- Centre(GNCPC)
- Two other representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Technical and Vocational Education Training are expected to join.
