Thirty students have graduated from culinary arts at Kigali Excellent Tourism and Hospitality Academy (KETHA).

Speaking to the media amid the graduation ceremony which was held on December 1, 2021, Alphonse Habimana, the school Managing Director said that in addition to the knowledge gained by the students from the school, they have also demonstrated the ability to apply what they have learned, which gives them confidence that they will perform well in the labor market.

 “We are grateful for our graduates. We are proud of them as they have demonstrated their ability to perform well in a variety of workplaces in which they will exert their knowledge. The school has received a positive feedback from the internship providers who have been in partnership with our school,” he said.

Habimana added that among the 30 graduates, seven of them have already been recruited by different hotels in which they have been doing their internship.

The graduated students have spent six months in the school, including the three-month internship they were given in different hotels to enhance their practical skills which would match the needs of the job markets.

Ikirezi Audace, a culinary arts graduate at KETHA said that he is ready to go and bring in use the skills he acquired from the school.

“We have the potential because we have got a lot of knowledge from this school. We are ready to show it if we have the opportunity to find a place to show it, because one of the concerns is that in the labor market, they often ask for experience to get a job,” he said.

Nzabonimpa Emmanuel, in charge of education in Kimironko Sector acknowledged the contribution of KETHA to the sector of Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

He said: “You are good partners in education, and we are proud to have you sited in Kimironko sector. We are pleased that some of the graduates here have got employed immediately, which shows that they have been well-trained by the school, being the fact that where they have gone for internships, they immediately showed they are well equipped with knowledge, which resulted into employment for some of them. We are proud of this contribution to the skills development among the young generation. Keep it up, we support you. Your contribution is pleasing to parents and to the country”.

According to Callixte Minani, an official at the Rwanda TVET Board, students who graduated from culinary arts have to use the acquired knowledge in making the difference, from the labor market to the enterprises they will serve.

“We welcome the role of this center in the development of the technical and vocational education. We urge that the goal be to build more capacity among the students, and to end up getting jobs. In fact the graduates do not only have to sit and say ok we are skilled enough, but also have to demonstrate the skills they have gained from this school wherever they pursue job opportunities,” he said.

Kigali Excellent Tourism and Hospitality Academy (KETHA) has the main Objective of Enhancing professional and technical training aiming at well-being of beneficiaries/trainees.