News DeskDubai, UAE – Students from the Swiss International School Dubai, undertaking the unique Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Extended Diploma in Business and Hospitality, recently had the opportunity to gain work experience at the iconic Burj Al Arab. This course, the only one of its kind in the UAE, is part of the school’s International Baccalaureate careers-related programme for students aged 16-18.
The Swiss International School, one of the only boarding schools in the region offering the IB curriculum, has introduced a Hospitality IB route for students seeking a Swiss quality education and premium university options. The BTEC course, studied alongside three academic subjects, is designed to provide a pathway into a global hospitality career.
As part of the course, students spend one day a week at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, part of the Jumeirah Group of hotels. A key element of the course is real-world work experience and internships. Recently, five students from the cohort of 17 business and hospitality students spent a week shadowing and gaining work experience at the Burj Al Arab.
The students, who had to formally apply for the experience, joined the concierge, reservations, housekeeping, and front-of-house spa teams over the course of the week to learn more about the hotel’s exclusive operations.
Lisa Bardin, Swiss International School Dubai’s IBCP Co-ordinator, said, “Experiencing hands-on work in such an iconic and prestigious establishment as the Burj Al Arab hotel is invaluable, especially for those pursuing a career in business management and hospitality. This is a remarkable opportunity for students to better understand how the theory they are learning relates to real-life situations.”
The students were supervised by the Burj Al Arab’s Learning and Development team, which also oversaw all the student’s daily work and placements. The Burj Al Arab benefits from hosting and mentoring students from the BTEC Hospitality programme, meeting the next generation of budding new hospitality graduates, and showcasing the hotel to a new younger demographic of visitors.
The work experience and internship programme is set to grow as the course expands and more students choose this option. Future students will have exciting options to gain real industry experience across the Jumeirah Group’s global portfolio.
