Nine Camosun College students are launching the new year with a program that combines training and work at one of the world’s best places for acquiring the foundations for stellar hospitality management careers.
The students are enrolled in the second year of Camosun’s Hotel and Restaurant Management program. They depart Jan. 16 for a challenging and exciting six-month program that combines academic study with supervised paid training and work experience at an international leader in the world of entertainment, hospitality, and tourism — the Walt Disney World Resort.
They’ll spend two weeks in southern California for orientation and studies at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). Then, on Jan. 30, they fly to Orlando, Fla., to start a six-month study/work term at the Magic Kingdom.
For students intent on careers in hospitality and tourism, the experience of working at Disney World as cast members (employees) will add magic to the foundations of education and training.
“This experience offers our students so much in both the short-term, and as their career dreams and goals develop,” says Carl Everitt, who teaches hotel and restaurant management at Camosun. “The academic curriculum focuses on leadership and management skills that are transferable to any career, plus the practical work experience and networking opportunities are true career-builders.”
Twenty students from Canada are taking part in the program. The educational component includes a transfer back of courses from UCR and Disney that are recognized by Camosun’s School of Business as academic credits specific to the graduation requirements of the Hotel and Restaurant Management program. Students from North Island and Langara College are also attending the program. The students return to Canada at the end of July and will receive credit for the academic courses and work-term experience.
This is the first year Camosun has sent students to this program managed by the University of California, Riverside. The nine from Camosun include two International Camosun students — one from China and one from Japan. On Dec. 21, Everitt received confirmation that the nine Camosun students will each receive $500 scholarships. The students are Johnny Tarasoff, Lindsey Danyluk, Erica Parsons, Christian Dewar, Chris Stitt, Derrek Leung, Erika Kanayama, Katy Zhang, and Jaycie Zhang.
“We are thrilled to welcome both the University of California, Riverside, and Walt Disney World to our expanding list of partnerships offering high quality educational and experiential learning opportunities to our students,” says Hotel and Restaurant Management program leader David Armstrong. “Close ties between the academic world and industry are invaluable to both our students and their future employers. Employers benefit when they recruit skilled and motivated people who aspire to future management positions in this exciting and ever-changing industry.”
