The three Algarve Hotel and Tourism Schools won awards at the Hospitality Education Awards, whose awards were given this Monday, September 27, in Estoril.
Tourism schools in Portugal based in Portimão, Faro and Vila Real de Santo António won awards in three of the eight categories in competition: Best Young Career, Best Digital Trainer and Best Educational Project.
«Bold and innovative», the Clube de Ciência Viva project of the Vila Real de Santo António School of Hotel and Tourism was considered the best of all the educational projects in the competition.
During the next school year, a Living Science Club will be created within the school, which will develop, among other activities, the MED_LAB – Laboratory of activities and experiences associated with the Mediterranean Diet.
According to Manuel Serra, director of the Vila Real de Santo António School of Hotel and Tourism, «these awards are positive impulses for more and better qualification, improvement in the quality of services, economic development and recognition of the territories».
In this edition of the Hospitality Education Awards, the category Best Trainer in Digital was launched for the first time, taking into account the framework of education in the last two years.
Abílio Guerreiro, a trainer in the area of Cooking at the School of Hotel and Tourism of the Algarve, was the winner, after having won last year the distinction of Best Teaching Career in Professional Education.
This teacher made a point of warning that digital tools, by themselves, are not enough for full education.
“I believe in education, I believe in the digital age but there is something that is irreplaceable: people. The emotion is also required to move to the other side of the screen. People on the other side have to feel that emotion if our message is to succeed. The digital allows this», he said.
Moreover, as of this school year, a Digital Laboratory will be created at the Algarve Hotel and Tourism School, located in Faro.
This Resource Center will be equipped with the latest audiovisual equipment and digital tools, with a view to producing training content.
With five years of experience as a trainer and an already solid curriculum in the Catering and Beverage area, Daniela Silvestre from the Portimão Hotel and Tourism School won the Best Young Career category.
For the young trainer, it is a good opportunity to highlight the “less visible” work carried out by the professionals.
«This award represents the national recognition of my work, both in terms of front office – what everyone sees and can see through the final product – but also at the level of back-office – what is “behind the cameras”. The “invisible” work, the one that nobody sees, has to be done so that the final presentation to the client is perfect», he said.
The Hospitality Educations Awards, promoted by the Associação Fórum Turismo, aim to dignify the professions in this area and, at the same time, encourage the training of excellence, with a view to meeting the needs of the sector.
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