On July 29, the first HoT info session was held at Sevan Business and Innovation Center. Finally, we had the opportunity to talk to the Gegharkunik youth, to introduce them the “Learn from Real Life” program and the expected results in an offline format.
At the beginning of the meeting, the project manager Anush Ghazanchyan presented the justification and reasons for the project implementation, existing problems in two target regions and the actions planned by the HoT Academy program, with which we want to contribute to the growth of youth employment and entrepreneurship in the tourism and hospitality industries.
We were also accompanied by HoT Hosts who interactively presented the structure of their modules and the important skills that HoT students would gain as a result of participating in the program.
The participants of the info session got acquainted with modern platforms and skills in the virtual world, necessary both for program participation and in general work and everyday life. Some of the young people who were present at the meeting, expressed willingness to become HoT ambassadors and guide their peers participating in the program throughout the program.
Sergey Tantushyan, the HoT Host of the Communication Literacy module, who was not present at the meeting for good reasons, sent his greetings in the form of a video message, presenting why it is important to communicate effectively, listen carefully to the interlocutor and ask relevant questions.
Sergey Tantushyan, who has a wealth of experience in the field of entrepreneurship and is the co-founder of two successful initiatives, also spoke about entrepreneurship, the skills required for it, and the structure, format and expected tasks of the course.
The youth of Sevan tested their vocabulary and knowledge of the hospitality industry through a group game, which showed that they were sufficiently informed and knowledgable.
Tatev Harutyunyan presented the goals of the course, the nuances of communication in a foreign language, stressing that preparation for employment is also expected. It was important to note that the participants will be divided into groups according to their level of knowledge and language proficiency.
The author of the Financial literacy module, Armenuhi Hovakimyan, assured that the HoT students would master the basic principles of economics at the end of the module. They would gain an understanding of how to make a personal budget, simple financial planning and perform simple economic calculations. They would also be taught about different types of financial organizations and would get to know the new tools of the financial world and their application, read and understand economic statistics.
Susanna Grigoryan, the representative of “Justus” law firm, spoke about labor rights and responsibilities, emphasizing the importance of contracts and the right to personal data protection, as well as economic and tax law. The young people made their observations using an example of an employment contract and received introductory information about common violations and ways to restore rights.
Ani Shalzhian, the HoT Host of the key Hospitality module of the program, spoke about the industry’s subfields, the necessary infrastructures and professions, as well as the importance of providing quality services. She also outlined the idea of being branded as a hospitable nation in the eyes of tourists.
The problems and solutions in the field were discussed, as well as the structure of the educational module was presented.
Games, conversations, Q&A session – the meeting was effective and interesting. Most of the participants got answers to their questions and showed interest in the program. We are sure that these kinds of meetings will be continuous and we will be able to get to know the views and suggestions of young people on the spot so that the program is maximally adapted to their educational needs.