Sabah Tourist Guides Association (STGA) wants the Government to set in place a better education and training system that is capable of satisfying the specific needs of the State's booming tourism sector.
Problems:
- Most institutions offering training in tourism in Sabah do not properly screen their students to ensure they have the qualities needed by the industry.
- Most of the students do not even make it into the industry after completing their studies. A very small percentage some of the lucky who can managed to land a job in the field they studied were likely to quit or be fired not long after they started because they lacked the required skills and passion.
- Some of these institutions just driven by profit on focusing too much on money profits.
Suggestion:
- A special body has to be set up to monitor the job placement of the students from tertiary education institutions, to keep watch on both the quality and marketability of the students they produced.
- Need to tighten the enforcement of laws governing the tourism industry, especially the tour guide sector. There are for instance tour guides who don't bother about renewing their licences and make even more money operating illegally as unlicensed guides.
- More emphasis be given to training new tour guides, apart from re-training existing ones and those who have left but want to rejoin the profession.
- Dive masters be trained as tour guides, so that they can at least give more accurate information about the State's other attractions when visitor ask them.
- Recruit more skilled lifeguards, many resorts and tourism spots in the State do not have sufficient or barely have any of vital safety personnel at all.
All problems and suggestions that make by honorary welfare officer Marry Ann C Degullacion are logically. Hope the government of our State take serious on the matters and hope actions will be taken.
***Further info for 'Rekod kes HIV, AIDS di Sabah menurun' can read at: http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=79919
Source: Daily Express
