The company "Resorts of the North Caucasus" is holding a panel discussion at
the St.Petersburg International Economic Forum about professional education
for the tourism cluster in Southern Russia. This was announced by the head
of the company, Ahmed Bilalov, at a meeting in the Russian Public Chamber.
A press release received by VK says that the experts who participated in
the round table "Mountain Cluster in the Northern Caucasus and the local
community: Is a partnership for sustainable development possible?" noted
that the project is unprecedented in scope. The areas included in the
project are very different in terms of resources and the level of
modernization, which should be considered when developing the concept of
training.
Olga Glezer, a researcher at the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of
Sciences, noted that although the North Caucasus is a labor-surplus region,
there is still a shortage of people with good professional
training.Therefore, the creation of training institutions is the main task
of the cluster at this stage. This training should include a psychological
aspect. "Hospitality and tourist services are not not just
different but opposite concepts: in the first case, you are the master, in
the second you are the staff. And it is psychologically very difficult for
"highlanders" to see themselves as mere support staff," Glaser said.
She also pointed out that these training centers should be created close to
the place of residence of potential students and workers, because otherwise
there is a risk that people who go to get education elsewhere will not
want to return.
Ahmed Bilalov added that young people are often reluctant to migrate and
are eager to take jobs in their home region if they are created, giving as an
example the construction of the Sochi Olympic sites, where more than
half of those employed come from the North Caucasus.
The chairman of Russian Congress of Caucasian Peoples, Aliy Totorkulov,
agreed with this. According to him, the local people are not afraid and eager
to learn. "If it is possible to earn money while living at home, all
Caucasians will learn," he assured.
