The Kenyan hospitality job market has received recognition from international cruise ships that go beyond and above to get these experienced Kenyans working with them.
GR8, a multinational recruitment agency that partners with colleges and other establishments in the Channel Islands, the UK and around the world lauded Kenyan youth as talented and valued assets to the hospitality industry.
Through this partnership, hospitality workers get the opportunity to move from Kenya and work in the Channel Islands among other international places.
GR8 recruitment came looking for Kenyan hospitality workers while Kenya was recording high numbers of COVID19 positive cases. They would undergo mandatory isolation and testing to ensure they were fit to work.
The Kenya Utalii College is trusted to produce hardworking, talented and able hospitality graduates. Many of the students recruited through GR8 are from Kenya Utalii College. They include chefs, kitchen porters, housekeeping staff, front office staff, bar staff and waiters.
As a result, the Kenya Association of House Keepers and Caterers Coast branch boss Sam Ikwaye has noted that youthful hospitality workers are being absorbed by international cruise ships and airlines.
He went on to announce that the world’s largest family-owned cruise liner, MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruises, were recruiting Kenyan hospitality workers in droves.
“Already MSC Cruises has recruited more than 1,000 Kenyan youth while Royal Caribbean Cruises is now targeting to recruit another 1,000 in an exercise being coordinated by Kenya Maritime Authority and the Kenya Utalii College,” Ikwaye intimated.
He urged the government to hasten the completion of the Ronald Ngala Utalii College in Vipingo, Kilifi County, which has taken close to a decade to complete.
Conclusively he encouraged Kenyan youth to keep training in order to attract more lucrative opportunities.
“It may appear a good development strategy where hospitality workers get well-paying jobs abroad, but we may soon run out of the quality workforce and getting them back might be expensive,” he advised.
