The Lao National Institute of Tourism & Hospitality (Lanith) has taken a major step to develop catering skills in Laos’ hotel sector. The institute has received a donation of modern kitchen equipment valued at US$50,000. The equipment was donated by the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Fifty-seven items were delivered to the institute’s administrators in Vientiane in February, inclduing hot cabinets, fryers, a Boldgett convection oven, Foinox combination oven, pizza oven, sinks, mobile trolleys, ice machine, bar fridge, mobile refrigerators, counter fridges, freezers, portable woks, a Euro cave, hot water boilers, linen shelves, Bain Maire, charcoal grill, electric grill, therma electric stoves, therma gas stoves, Hobart mixer, buffet hot plates and other items.
“The equipment is all in excellent condition,” said Professor Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor of School of Hotel and Tourism Management, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. “We also have in place a very good maintenance contract so everything is fully maintained and operational.”
The equipment will be installed in Lanith’s training centre at the Technical Vocational School of Luang Prabang as well as the soon-to-be-built Lanith facility in Vientiane.
“The donation provides an excellent opportunity for us to help nurture young talent within Laos’ hospitality and tourism industry,” said Chon.
The Poly U said it could no longer use the equipment as it was fitted out for previous premises. The school has now been relocated to a new location in the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Hong Kong.
With this donation the Lanith training centre located on the premises of the Technical Vocational School of Luang Prabang can be built and fully operable in 2011.
“This is a wonderful development for our technical college in Luang Prabang. It will improve the quality of our hotel diploma programme there,” said Dr Khongsy Sengmany, Director General of the Ministry of Education’s Technical Vocational Education and Training Division.
The Lanith facility in Vientiane, which will be located on the Pakpasak Technical College campus, is scheduled for completion in 2013.
Lanith is part of the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg supported bilateral development assistance to Laos. The Lanith complex will become the national centre of excellence in hospitality and tourism education and training. In addition to constructing Lanith, the Luxembourg-funded project is supporting the overseas training of 18 Laotian teachers, developing education and training materials in Lao language and conducting an outreach programme to provide industry training in the project’s focus provinces.
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