Employers at GMIT International Hotel School annual fair outline range of opportunities for students post Covid

Over 45 Tourism & Hospitality employers across the Tourism industry at home and abroad attended the Virtual GMIT International Hotel School Careers Fair on Wednesday, 24 March, hosted with technology partner Careers Fair Plus. Employers outlined a range of options such as work placements, summer jobs and graduate employment opportunities to GMIT students and alumni.

Diarmuid Ó Conghaile, Head of Department for Tourism & Heritage says: “Our annual Careers Fair has gone from strength to strength and its success is driven by our Links Office, who coordinate with our industry partners at home and aboard to offer both accredited placement and graduate opportunities to our students.  It is the only event of its kind in Ireland that is hosted by a third level institution specifically for the Tourism and Hospitality industry. We were delighted to be able to host the event online this year as the industry prepares to reopen this summer”.

Ciara Heneghan, who is in her 4th year of the BA in International Hotel Management, says: “This year more than ever the Galway International Hotel School’s Careers Fair provided a great opportunity to all current students and alumni to meet and engage with many employers albeit virtually. Personally, I have benefitted greatly from this careers fair in the past and secured wonderful work placement opportunities. We have grown accustomed to engaging online over the last year and this year’s virtual Career’s Fair presented all options once again.”

Cáit Noone, Head of the Galway International Hotel School, is encouraged by the engagement the team have seen with this event. “The narrative around the Tourism industry can be quite negative as COVID-19 has had a terrible impact on this global and important industry. However, this year’s careers event has seen employers register from Ireland and beyond. Employers are working carefully to be ready for a summer reopening and last summer saw much of the domestic tourism market head to the west and coastal regions to enjoy the summer break. We have a wonderful cohort of students ready to play their role in supporting the industry and with so many alumni returning home we are confident we can find roles for everyone”.

The Galway International Hotel School is located on the Dublin Road campus and offers courses in International Hotel and Hospitality Management, Event Management & Public Relations, International Tourism Management, Heritage Studies and Culinary and Gastronomic Sciences. The school was the first in Ireland to award degrees in Hotel Management in 1977 and was named in the Top Ten Global Hotel Schools last summer.  Visit the virtual website to hear from the team and students at GMIT Virtual Open Day

ENDS

Issued by Regina Daly, GMIT Communications & Press Officer, GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway.
0879618355 (m) regina.daly@gmit.ie   www.gmit.ie/news

Galway-Mayo IT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT working together to become a TU for the West and North-West of Ireland www.cualliance.ie