“Our Employability Programme is now active in 20 cities across the country. It has over 4,000 trainees, including more than 3,000 graduates and 2,000 in full-time employment,” Mandziuk told PTI.
“This year, we are on track to train close to 2,000 young people under the programme,” he said.
The initiative aims to improve youth employment and promote inclusivity by providing young people with the skills and experience needed to embark on their careers in the hospitality industry.
“Genuine sustainable growth in hospitality isn’t just about expansion. It is also about the people we bring along with us. Our Employability Programme goes beyond filling vacancies. It is a strategic investment in building a resilient workforce, giving people the confidence, skills, and real opportunities to build brilliant, lifelong careers,” Mandziuk said.
The success of the Employability Programme is measured not just in jobs created, but in lives transformed, he said, and stressed the need to remove employment access barriers and foster inclusive growth across the global hospitality landscape.
“When we see vulnerable young people step into their roles with genuine self-belief and start building secure futures, it proves that this model is a powerful blueprint for our industry by reducing turnover, strengthening our talent pipeline, and enhancing our social licence to operate,” he said.”Tackling youth unemployment is a challenge no single company can solve alone. That’s why the Alliance exists, to unite hospitality leaders around shared solutions. I invite every CEO to join us in this mission and give vulnerable young people a real chance in life while shaping a more resilient, prosperous, and welcoming future for our entire industry,” he said.
The programme aims to equip vulnerable and disadvantaged youth, especially women, with work readiness, life skills, digital and financial literacy, and practical hotel experience.
Rajni, a 24-year-old from Mumbai, is among the participants of the programme.
She grew up with her mother and two younger sisters. To support the family, her mother tried to force her daughters into sex work. Determined to study and build a better life, 10-year-old Rajni ran away from home and has been estranged from her family ever since.
Joining the WSHA Employability Programme in April 2021, she completed online soft-skills training on hotel operations and secured an apprenticeship in the kitchen of a five-star hotel in Santacruz. Having successfully completed her training, her goal is to work in a higher-level kitchen position.
Kabira is a 21-year-old young woman from Karjat in Raigad district. She was abandoned at the railway station by her mother when she was just two years old, and spent her childhood in various shelter homes.
She learned about the Employability Programme through WSHA partner Yuva Parivartan and enrolled.
“The training gave me the knowledge of the hotel industry and taught me how to communicate and speak to the guests. I also learned the importance of grooming. During practical training, I learned to handle calls from guests, and was in charge of clearing and cleaning the tables at the restaurant,” she said.
Kabira completed her hard-skills training in the food and beverage service department at a partner hotel and is now working as an associate. She said she aims to reach a managerial role in the next five years.
The World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance is a global network that unites major hotel brands, industry partners, and experts to promote responsible business and the net positive hospitality strategy, where hotels and tourism businesses aim to give back more to the environment, local communities, and society than they consume.
Formerly known as the International Tourism Partnership, the Alliance members represent over 66,000 properties worldwide.