Over 800 graduates from the University of Tourism, Technology and Business studies (UTB) were remembered to be the role models in implementing the acquired skills by improving the way customer care services are delivered in the country. Among students graduated, 62 percent are females.
This message was given out by Callixte Kabera, the vice-Chancellor of UTB on this Thursday March 9th, 2017 during the 5th graduation ceremony of this campus.
“The message that we give out to these graduates from various options is to be the real Rwandans proud to develop the country by implementing the skills they acquired in various disciplines including hotels and tourism skills, business and information technology, etc. They must play a big role in helping the country to continue the speed of development and contribute a lot in delivering quality services,” Kabera said.
Kabera said that these graduates will respond to many issues in regard with what the country needs, “the country has the fast development, it needs changes towards quality education, and graduates themselves are ready, they are requesting the government to help them in that journey of development. As the country of tourism based on international conferences, leisure tourism and our graduates are willing to fully participate,” he added.
He said that graduates have wide opportunity to tape-in as the country has fully invested in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE), a type of tourism in which large groups, usually planned well in advance are brought together for a particular purpose.
“We try to link our education with what is needed at the labour market. Our graduates are ready to increase efforts; we have an example of works which they can contribute to like the road Rubavu-Rusizi Corridor which has many touristic works. We strive to deliver quality service to satisfy the guests coming to Rwanda and encourage them to come back; it is for sure that the development of our country makes a step forward when they come back,” he said.
Dr Baguma Abdallah, Director in charge of Academic and quality in High Education Council (HEC) said that there is a hope of a bright future for these graduants as their skills is needed on the labour market.
He encouraged them to use those skills in creating jobs by sharing ideas they got from the various options they have learnt through.
Baguma said that the country still needs many experts in the field of Tourism and Hotels noting that there is still few numbers of lectures of such lessons.
“These services are growing and need more people, reason why we need more experts,” Baguma said.
Mrs Zulfat Mukarubega, the founder of the University of Tourism, Technology and Business studies also recommends graduates to link the skills with a willing heart and Rwandan values to be able to have successful results most especially by creating jobs.
“I am sure these graduates are needed at the labour market, I advise them to deliver fast and quality services. I also recommend them to be good ambassadors of the school and their young colleagues by contributing to the development of our country,” Mukarubega notes.
She says that there is still a continuous journey to achieve good service delivery in the country assuring that there is a hope.
“This is possible, for example, the school began with five students and now we have now over 5500 students, which gives a confidence.
Students’ readiness
Eric Munyaneza 28, is one among graduates from UTB at this round who graduated in the department of Hotel and Restaurant Management and has already got a job in Marriot Hotel when he was still a student.
He is very thankful to the school which offered him the package of skills to be able to explore further opportunities and serve a mass of people in delivering quality services.
“UTB helped us enough by offering practical skills beyond theories. Many hotels came to the school to give us job examinations and many of us got job opportunities, we are ready to deliver quality services to our clients and we will try our best to create jobs,” Munyaneza told Panorama.
Munyaneza said that they are willing to create jobs as graduates in the fields of food and restaurants that he said such services are needed in Kigali city and in various cities in the country, also noting that they need the country’s facility to get loans.
Clémentine Umuhoza, a student in the first year of Business Management shares her views on how she will contribute to change the perceptions of clients towards the service delivery which made many people losing confidence today.
“We must bear in our minds the spirit of treating clients with good tone and deliver good service. It is something we can start socializing with when we are still students,” Umuhoza noted.
By Elias Hakizimana
Graduates have wide opportunity to tape-in as the country has fully invested in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (Photo/Elias H.)
Mrs Zulfat Mukarubega, the founder of the University of Tourism, Technology and Business studies UTB (Photo/Elias H.)
Callixte Kabera, the vice-Chancellor of UTB (Photo/Elias H.)
Clémentine Umuhoza, a student in the first year of Business Management shares her views on how quality service should be delivered (Photo/Elias H.)
