Seychelles Tourism Academy transfers two full-time lecturers to Praslin annex

Although small in size, the Seychelles Tourism Academy’s Praslin annex continues to flourish with the introduction of two new lecturers – Carol Gabriel and John Paul Pleureuse – who will start teaching at the beginning of the academic year in March 2015.

This move follows promises made by Alain St.Ange, Minister for Tourism and Culture, when he visited the annex located in Baie Ste. Anne School in 2014, to transfer two full-time lecturers to Praslin and offer Advanced Certificate City of Guilds of London Wellness & Spa courses.

Carol Gabriel, wellness and spa lecturer, has over 8 years in spa experience, previously working as a spa trainer in hotels and teaching at the Tourism Academy for two years. Just as she offered the “best of her abilities” to her Mahé students, she plans on delivering the same quality teaching to her Praslin and La Digue full-time trainees. She hopes that in return the “students will seize the opportunities being made available to them.” When she heard about the opening vacancies, she personally approached Flavien Joubert, the Seychelles Tourism Academy’s Principal, for the position, knowing that Praslin is well-known for its tourism establishments which provides a good training ground for students.

The Tourism Academy annex had Natasha Honblim, head of studies and the only full-time lecturer, training students in housekeeping, reception services, food, and restaurant and bar production, despite taking in more students over the years. But now she will share responsibilities with John-Paul Pleureuse, an accomplished professional, boasting 30 years in the tourism field. This food and production lecturer has attended overseas training and workshops in different countries around the world: La Reunion, Mauritius, South Africa, and twice in Switzerland. He is the perfect blend of an academic with tourism experience, having worked in restaurants and hotels around the islands. He believes that the creation of the Praslin annex was a brilliant idea, saying “students will no longer have to make the transition and adaptation to Mahé. It offers the tourism-related businesses/establishments here the opportunity to help build those students and later employ them. I feel proud when I see some of my past tourism students later on making it big and owning their own businesses.”

With the new additions, the Seychelles Tourism Academy Praslin annex now has three full-time and two part-time lecturers, and this will surely “enhance the annex’s standards and ensure the smooth running of the Tourism Academy’s Praslin branch,” says the Seychelles Tourism Academy Principal, Flavien Joubert.

Seychelles is a founding member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .