Federal Group a Beacon for employment opportunities

Students from Bayview Secondary College and Kingston High School were given a peek behind the curtain of MACq 01 Hotel and The Henry Jones Art Hotel in a bid to inspire a new generation of tourism and hospitality professionals.

Sixty students from four schools across the state who expressed an interest in the tourism and hospitality industry will take part in a series of career development activities throughout the year, as part of a major program run by the Beacon Foundation.

Beacon Foundation CEO Scott Harris said the program was designed to both inspire students and support them through a series of career readiness activities in preparation for potential careers in the industry.

He said the program was funded by Federal Group, who recently extended their partnership with Beacon for another three years.

“Tourism and hospitality is one of many growth industries in Tasmania which offers boundless opportunities for young people to build careers.

“Importantly, our partner program with Federal Group isn’t just a once off workshop, instead giving the students multiple engagements directly with industry.

“The students here today will engage with Federal Group businesses three more times before the end of this school year, taking part in programs that will help them develop highly sought-after employability skills suited for the 21^st century.

“These programs also support the students to build aspirations, confidence and an understanding of workplace expectations and behaviour.

“By working closely and directly with those in the industry, the sessions and advice we are able to provide are completely authentic, and put the students in the best possible position to understand exactly what’s required to pursue a career.

“We thank Federal Group for their funding support and mentorship and for giving the students access to real world experiences which are impossible to replicate in the classroom.”

Federal Group General Manager – Tourism, Matt Casey said the opportunity to help the next generation of Tasmanians enter the growing tourism and hospitality industry was highly rewarding for all involved.

“There are so many varied and rewarding careers available in tourism and hospitality and we’re excited to be able to work with students who show a genuine interest in learning more about the industry,” Mr Casey said.

“Today, students from Kingston High School and Bayview Secondary College are visiting MACq 01 Hotel and The Henry Jones Art Hotel to better understand how the venues operate, get a taste of the types of jobs available and hear directly from some of our team.

“It’s an extra special day, as we’re celebrating MACq 01 Hotel’s fifth anniversary. The hotel has been a big success in its short history and we hope seeing the success of what we do here, will help inspire a new generation of people to pursue careers in the industry.

“No two jobs in tourism and hospitality are the same, and once you scratch beneath the surface you quickly realise there can be something that suits everyone’s different skill sets.

“As well as being valuable for the participants, programs like this are also a great opportunity for our staff to give back as mentors and help inspire the next generation. We thank Beacon for connecting us with the schools involved, and for their specialist input in making sure the programs achieve the most impact for the students.”

Mr Harris said if other businesses would like to get involved in helping young Tasmanians access careers in their industry they can reach out to Beacon at www.beaconfoundation.org.au

This renewed partnership continues a strong and long-lasting relationship between Beacon and Federal Group which has gone from strength-to strength since the two organisations first collaborated in 2015.