80 students earned the first of its kind Bachelor of Hotel Operations Management Degree in the country
Cairo, Egypt:– Marriott International today announced that its unique hospitality training program, Tahseen, celebrated its first graduating class in Egypt. Developed in partnership with Helwan University and Professional Development Foundation, the company created the unique programme for Egypt in 2018 to support its commitment to further enhance tourism education in the country. The inaugural graduating class featured 80 students who completed the first of its kind Bachelors of Hotel Operations Management Degree.
The celebration took place at The St. Regis Cairo with all 80 students accompanied by their families. The milestone event was hostedby Satya Anand, President, Europe Middle East & Africa, Marriott International and was attended by Professor Dr. Hosam Refai, Acting President, Helwan University and Mohammed Farouk Hafeez, Chairman, Professional Development Foundation, along with other senior officials from the organizations.
Satya Anand, President, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International said, “We are excited to celebrate the first group of graduates as part of our Tahseen programme in Egypt. Tahseen is focused on providing young people with the skills and experience to grow and thrive in the hospitality business and to be part of the success of Egypt’s travel and tourism sector. As a company, we remain committed to enhancing tourism education in Egypt and developing the next wave of exciting and impactful local hospitality leaders in the country.”
Tahseen was launched in 2018 in partnership with Helwan University and Professional Development Foundation to focus on fast-tracking the next generation of hospitality leaders by providing them with firsthand experience of the industry and a springboard to launch successful careers in hospitality. In 2019, the programme received the Ministry of Higher Education’s approval in Egypt and earned bachelor’s degree accreditation. Today, the Bachelor of Hotel Operations Management Degree is earned upon completion of a four-year programme broken down into one year of university, followed by three years consisting of 16 weeks each of classroom learning and 32 weeks each of onsite training across Marriott International properties in the country.
Following the completion of the programme, Marriott International plans to offer the graduates full-time roles within its properties in Egypt, across functions such as Front Desk, Reservations, Sales, Events, Marketing, Human Resources, Food and Beverage, Housekeeping, and Finance. Looking ahead, Tahseen has nearly 100 students currently enrolled and scheduled to complete the bachelor’s degree in the coming years. The programme also plans to welcome more than 50 new students this year.
Tahseen is an integral part of Marriott International’s strategy in Egypt, where the company’s current portfolio encompasses 18 properties with more than 7,000 rooms across eight brands. The company currently has more than 9,000 Egyptian nationals employed across its portfolio, representing 99% of its workforce in the country.
Prof. Dr. Soha Abd el Wahab, Dean of Helwan University commented, “The Bachelor of Hotel Operations Management Degree is the only programme in Egypt that connects both academic study and experience in a professional environment. This programme provides highly qualified caliber of talent who are ready to work and make a valuable contribution in the hospitality industry.”
Mohamed Farouk, Chairman, Professional Development Foundation (PDF) said, “We stand together today to celebrate the first batch of graduates of the Bachelor of Hotel Operations Management. Needless to say, tourism is one of the leading sources of national income, crucial to Egypt’s economy, combating unemployment by offering jobs to a wide segment of the workforce in Egypt. We, at PDF believe that our partnership with Helwan University and Marriott International will provide a newly highly qualified caliber of graduates to further support the tourism industry. It truly gives us great pleasure to be part of this success, and we are eagerly looking forward to celebrating the graduation of more students, so that we keep impacting more lives every year.”
Tahseen falls under Marriott International’s Sustainability and Social Impact Platform, Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, which guides how the company makes a positive and sustainable impact wherever it does business. One of the priority areas, or “coordinates”, of Serve 360 is Empower Through Opportunity. Tahseen is a program that directly supports and brings this vision to life.