These 19 women are standing on a stairway inside North Vancouver’s Coach House. They inspected the hotel, set up banquets and deep cleaned the premises as part of their ESL/ Hospitality course taken at Capilano College.

Coach Gets

Free Overhaul from College Students

apilano College students and

Coach House Inn staff and management recently entered into a partnership that was beneficial to both. Nineteen students descended on the hotel for a one-week work experience in the housekeeping department. The all-women class is taking an 18-week ESL/Hospitality Skills Program funded by Human Resources Development Canada and offered by the Contract Services department of Capilano College.

Program managers Lynne Moran and Denis Catroun arranged the work experience with hotel manager Jack Zydel. “Jack was enthusiastic about the

idea from the start and very generous with his time,” says Lynne.

The students were in the middle of a two-week section on housekeeping skills when they went to the Coach House. They learned how to do room inspections, set up for banquets and do deep cleaning of the hotel. “It was a win-win situation,” says Lynne. “The hotel got its drapes cleaned, carpets shampooed and mattresses turned, while the students got firsthand experience in a working hotel.”

By the end of the week, many of the women felt that they could actually do the job, notes Lynne, and

“it gave them a self-confidence they didn’t have before.” In turn, Jack was thrilled with the work done by the Capilano College students and rewarded them with a luncheon on the last day.

Before enroling in this program, all 19 women were employment insurance recipients, and most were also former members of UNITE, Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees.

This program not only teaches them hospitality skills, they are given ESL training by faculty member, Mae Lee Ling. The ESL component focuses on workplace language, both written and spoken, that must be understood in order to do the job. Upon completion of the theory section of this program, students will participate in a three-week practicum in a variety of hospitality- related positions.

“Watching the women develop their skills and see their confidence grow daily is truly fantastic,” says Lynne.

Submitted by Lauren Mulholland

@nformer