In an effort to bridge the skills gap between the academe and the industry, STI Education Services Group Inc. and The Heritage Hotel Manila signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) last Aug. 29. 

Through the partnership, the four-­star luxury hotel, The Heritage Hotel Manila, will assist STI in designing and developing its learning content for the hospitality and tourism management programs to be at par with the industry standards. 

"To build a solid student foundation, STI's curriculum is developed through an intensive market research-­taking into account different job opportunities, the students' interests and preferences, and the ever-changing industry trends," said Aisa Q. Hipolito, STI's assistant vice president for academic research. 

The partnership will provide exposure to hospitality students through an on­the­job training experience, and train students in order to enhance their competencies and qualifications for employment. 

"In this partnership, the hotel housekeeping will help the academe by assisting its teachers in developing the curriculum. Hopefully, students from STI will come to The Heritage Hotel Manila to do their practicum," said Atty. Juancho Baltazar, HR director of The Heritage Hotel Manila. 

It will also allow faculty members to further strengthen their technical know­how through trainings and immersion in the fast­paced environment of the industry. 

The Heritage Hotel Manila is only one of the affiliates of the academic institution including the European Innovation, Technology, and Science Center Foundation (EITSC), European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), Global Max's Services Pte. Ltd. (Max's), British Council, National Institute of Accounting Technicians (NIAT), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Solaire Resort and Casino, Tiger Resort, Leisure & Entertainment Inc., Royal Caribbean, Jollibee Foods Corp., UnionBank, and Microsoft.

Together with STI's efforts, these partners prepare STI students for the workforce through internships, work immersion programs, trainings and workshops, licensure exam preparation, seminars, and other industry and business­specific programs. All of which provide a venue for STI students to apply their knowledge and skills to real life application.