| May 23, 2000 - One hundred and twenty one graduates
were presented with their Certificates, Diplomas or Bachelor Degrees at
The Hotel School�s tenth annual Graduation Ceremony on Thursday 18th May
in the ballroom of Hotel Inter.Continental, Sydney. The Hotel School is
a joint venture between Hotel Inter.Continental and Southern Cross University.
Professor John Rickard, Vice Chancellor Southern Cross University presented
the Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management graduates with their degrees.
He emphasised in his address the high esteem in which graduates from The
Hotel School are held, in strong demand due to The Hotel School�s reputation
within the hospitality and tourism industry and its recent recognition
by NSW Tourism as winner of the Award of the Decade for Industry Training.
Professor Gary Prosser, Head of SCU School of Tourism and Hospitality
Management presented the Diploma of Hotel Management to year two graduates.
He noted that the innovative partnership between Australia�s leading international
hotel and Australia�s leading provider of industry education (Southern
Cross University having been awarded the 1999 Australian Tourism Award
for Excellence in Industry Education) has led to The Hotel School being
recognised as a centre of excellence not only within Australia but internationally.
Year One Certificates in Cookery, Food & Beverage or Front Office
were presented by Mr Wolfgang Grimm, Vice President, Operations Support
Asia Pacific, Bass Hotels and Resorts who reminded the audience that The
Hotel School is not simply about education but about preparing students
for jobs and providing an environment for personal growth. Hotel School
students are, he said, trained to make a difference � because the hospitality
industry is about change, flexibility and adaptability.
| Dux of the Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management
degree course was Matthew Busch, a remarkable young man who left school
when he was fifteen to wash dishes at a local motel. Aged sixteen he took
the Certificate in Commercial Cookery at The Hotel School and topped the
course. He then applied to attempt the demanding Diploma of Hotel Management,
which The Hotel School only agreed to permit him to do after a great deal
of persuasion. His results were outstanding and he was Dux of the Diploma
of Hotel Management course aged seventeen. Continuing on to take the stringent
Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management degree, Matthew once again achieved
outstanding results and, aged eighteen, was Dux. Matthew is currently employed
by Hotel Inter.Continental, Sydney as Night Manager and clearly has a brilliant
future.
1999 Diploma Student of the Year was Fiona Harrison, who also topped
Southern Cross University.
Year One Certificate in Front Office Student of the Year was Karen Baker.
Year One Certificate in Food & Beverage Student of the Year was
jointly awarded to Victoria Eaton and Margaret Diasinos.
The Chef�s Trophy was awarded to Maria Anggriani.
In its 10th year of operation, The Hotel School, Hotel Inter.Continental
is part of the vast Bass Hotels and Resorts group, with a network of 2,700
properties. It is valued not only as a recruiting source by Bass hotels
but also by the other major chains, said Hotel School General Manager Mr
Peter Lewis in his address. He spoke of the exponential growth and expansion
of The Hotel School over the past decade. 400 applicants were interviewed
this year for 200 places, offered on the basis of academic merit, attitude
and experience.
The School is continuing to grow in a controlled expansion programme.
Graduates are working all over the world, Peter Lewis said, in places as
diverse asMexico, Atlanta, Bali, London, Kuala Lumpur and Japan and The
Hotel School |
| Matthew Busch is a most exceptional young man. He has
just received his Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management degree from
Southern Cross University, completed at the age of eighteen at The Hotel
School, Hotel Inter.Continental. At the graduation ceremony he was announced
Dux of the course.
The Hotel School is a joint venture between Hotel Inter.Continental,
Sydney and Southern Cross University.
At a time when his friends from Sydney�s Caringbah High
School were undertaking their HSC, Matthew was completing the final year
of his Bachelor degree at The Hotel School.
Matt�s story is pretty remarkable. He left school at the
age of fifteen and went to work washing dishes at a local motel. A boy
who had always loved to cook, he had within a year been made Head Grill
Cook. He was then, aged sixteen, offered the position of Restaurant Manager.
He had just heard about The Hotel School, applied and been offered a place.
�I was faced with choosing between a good job with good
wages, or committing myself to an Apprentice Chef�s Certificate course
at The Hotel School and paying $12,000 in fees. Luckily I chose the latter�.
As Year One courses at The Hotel School are structured
to alternate lecture room theory with paid practical experience in the
Hotel next door, he found that fee costs were amortised. �In fact I have
totally supported myself through the three years � Certificate, Diploma
and Bachelor courses - with paid employment at Hotel Inter.Continental�
he says.
Matthew achieved the top marks for the year in the Year
One Certificate in Commercial Cookery Apprenticeship course.
He then ambitiously decided he would like to attempt the
Year two Diploma of Hotel Management. The Hotel School was faced with the
decision of whether or not to accept him. It was not only a gamble for
him, but also for The Hotel School, as it was unusual for a chef to try
to attempt the challenging Diploma course work, without even having a Higher
School Certificate, as the academic standard for the Diploma is extremely
high.
It was a gamble which paid off. He was Dux of the Diploma
course and last year undertook the stringent Bachelor of Business in Hotel
Management degree, once again gaining the highest marks..
�It has been a pleasure to watch the effort and dedication
Matt has exhibited throughout his three years at The Hotel School� says
Manager Peter Lewis. �He really deserves his outstanding results�.
Matthew is currently employed as Night Manager at Hotel
Inter.Continental and will undoubtedly have a spectacular career path in
the hospitality industry. |
|
now has three graduates appointed to General Manager positions.
Applications are already being received for 2001 entry for the Certificate,
Diploma and Bachelor degree courses and there is a current mid-year intake
for the Commercial Cookery course, with one or two vacancies remaining. |
