BY REGINALD KANYANE
Taung – Two Hundred and Twenty (220) Grade 10, 11 and 12 Tourism learners from three High Schools within the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District were recently given an opportunity to explore various career opportunities within the Tourism and Hospitality industry.

This was through a Tourism Schools Career Expo held at the Taung Hotel School and Convention Centre. 

North West MEC for Tourism, Desbo Mohono said that her department fully supports such initiatives as they help expose young people to an array of career choices within the Tourism Sector.

“This is indeed an important developmental platform for our young people, we want them to know and understand that there is a huge pool of careers within the Tourism sector. Since September is Tourism Month we will be creating the necessary awareness about the academic opportunities within the sector and how young people can take advantage of such,” said Mohono.

Expo Coordinator, Nametso Gabanakgosi from North West Tourism said that, this initiative is aligned with Tourism Month long celebrations and aims to create necessary Tourism awareness and also encourage students to take tourism as a career path.

“The aim is to inform and expose young people to possible future opportunities in the tourism and Hospitality industry and to help them choose subjects in accordance with their career choices. The career expo is a platform to show learners that there is hope to reach their dreams and prepare them to plan for their career path,” she said.

Tour operator and Owner of OJ Tours and Travel Agency, Ontshebile Joseph Tshamboko gave an insightful comprehensive presentation on career opportunities within the Tour Operating trade.

He further applauded the province and the district municipality for the initiative of luring young talent to the field.

He went on to say this was a good platform for Tourism learners to be exposed to many other Tourism Career opportunities as most of them are still young and can be agents of transformation and change in the Tourism sector.

“This is a mind opener because in the past learners were not exposed to a lot of career opportunities within the industry. We need young people who will go into Tourism Researching, Information Technology Development and other related disciplines. These learners needed to be exposed to various other Tourism Career opportunities, they need to know that Tourism is not only limited Hospitality, there is vast opportunities for them within the sector,” he concluded.

High Schools in attendance were Reabetswe and Ipelegeng Secondary Schools from Schweizer-reneke in the Mumusa Local Municipality and Jerry Mahura Secondary School from Dryharts in the Greater Taung Local Municipality.

Grace Kujane, a Grade 12 teacher from Jerry Mahura Secondary School lauded the expo citing that such expos will encourage these learners to take Tourism as subject seriously.

“This expo has shown my learners how important tourism is, especially those from rural areas. They now know that they have an opportunity to develop their communities through tourism,” she said.

Echoing her teacher’s words was a grade 11 learner Mmabatho Tshabile.

She added that this expo has taught her that through Tourism, she can develop her own village.

“I didn’t know that there were so many opportunities in the Tourism sector. We have never been exposed to some of these things before. I was also impressed by the fact that there are bursaries available to study further in the Tourism Sector,” she said.

The Tourism Schools Career Expo is an annual event hosted by North West Tourism where learners get to meet with different Tourism industry role players to enlighten students about Tourism and highlight to them what is currently available beyond secondary school.

This may assist in general career planning of a student, also to offering students the opportunity to consider their future and interact with various avenues of employment and furthering their education.
-TDN
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