IHG expands academy in China

IHG Academy

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has launched a new IHG Academy in China – its 150th worldwide.

The IHG Academy programme partners community organisations and education providers with the aim of improving local employment prospects. The latest tie-up is between Pu’er University in Southwest China’s Yunnan province and the Crowne Plaza Xishuangbanna. The programme will look to train and develop hospitality and tourism managers in the region.

“At IHG we believe that hotels can make a real contribution to society,” said Richard Solomons, CEO of IHG. “By leveraging our scale globally, IHG can provide better employment prospects to people who may not have otherwise chosen to work in our industry. Our IHG Academy participants come from very diverse backgrounds and it is through this programme that they are able to experience the wide range of jobs that can be found in hotels, and in so doing find their true calling.”

Since 2006, more than 10,000 people have taken part in the IHG Academy programme, with many going on to secure jobs in IHG hotels.

By Mark Elliott, 15 January 2013, Tuesday 4:03 AM