Une nouvelle initiative de Skål International pour renforcer la classification Skål Jeune est la création d’un site Internet spécial sur la Formation dans le Tourisme et la publication des établissements de formation dont les cadres sont membres de Skål International. Une réunion a eu lieu pendant ITB pour traiter cette initiative. Sur la photo, on note la présence, de gauche à droite, de : Monika Krauthahn de Krauthahn Consulting ; Jim Power, Secrétaire Général ; Werner Knerrich, Secrétaire, Skål International Allemagne ; et Wolfgang Hofmann, Président de Skål International Düsseldorf qui a proposé l’initiative.

Etablissements de Formation

Young Skål Exchange Program - SKÅL INTERNATIONAL COPENHAGEN-HOBART

Bonnie Quarrier and Eva Hamburger Nielsen are two young women. Both Young Skål members and both part of the Copenhagen and Hobart Young Skål Exchange Program. Actually they are the first to experience this fantastic program.

On August 23, Bonnie arrived to Copenhagen from Copenhagen. She is staying with her host family Mads and Helen Olesen in Copenhagen. She has attended classes at the Copenhagen International Hospitality College, and she is getting hands-on experience by work placements with some of the Copenhagen Skålleagues. At the moment, Bonnie is working in the marketing department at the Hotel Copenhagen Crown Plaza, Winner of the Skål Eco Award 2010. She has been at the Copenhagen Canal Tours, one day in their ticket office, one day in their marketing department and one day on the canaltour itself. Vikingbus/Autopaaske gave Bonnie a some days in their marketing department, and she also joined some of their tours, a wonderful way of seeing Copenhagen. Especially interesting for Bonnie were the days at the Wonderful Copenhagen Tourism Information. Back in Hobart she is working at the visitors centre, and Bonnie realized that tourist have the same needs and questions, wherever they go.

Next week Bonnie will visit Skål International Rostock in Germany. Rostock is another twin club of Copenhagen, only 4 hours away from Copenhagen. She will be accompanied by Chairman of the Young Skål Exchange committee CPH, Lone Ricks. They will meet up with Skålleagues and Bonnie will experience and meet some of the interesting tourism projects in the area before she returns to Copenhagen. Her final work placement is at the Hotel WakeUp Copenhagen. She has decided to tour in Denmark to become familiar with the rest of the country, before she returns to Tasmania late November.

On October 8, Eva boarded the Emirates flight to take her to Melbourne and then on to Hobart where she has just arrived. In Melbourne she was met and greeted by Skål Greeter Wendy Knowles. When we asked Wendy if she could meet and assist to make Eva’s transfer pleasant, we mentioned that it was from 02.30 till 08.45. Wendy thought it was in the afternoon and replied, I am sorry, I will be busy with work. But later when she realized it was at 02.30 am, there was no problem !! Of course Wendy got up in the middle of the night, picked Eva up and took her home for a shower and a nap, before returning to the airport for Eva’s Hobart flight. THIS IS A GREETER SERVICE !! Thank you Wendy !!

Eva is staying with skålleague Sue & David Goldstone. The Hobart club has set up a very interesting program for Eva during her 2½ month stay. She will be in work placement at the Federal Group Hotels, the MONA Art Museum as well as at the Collins Hotel in Hobart. She will also be in work placement at the Islington Hotel and the Old Woolstore. And she will attend classes at the Drysdale Institute.

In each club we have a councilor for the program.
The initiative to the Young Skål Exchange Program came after the twinning between Skål Interntiaonal Copenhagen and Hobart. Since the Danish Crown Prince Frederik married Mary Donaldson from Hobart, and made her Crown Princess of Denmark, the link between the two cities have grown stronger. We discussed and corresponded about the issue, Lone Ricks explains, and when Mads Olesen (PP of CPH) and I met with David Reed from Hobart at the Sydney Congress, we decided to realize the project. I visited Hobart for a week, and David and I drew up the guidelines to the project. Both of has been part of Rotary International so we had the experience from their world known exchange project. We then met with the Hobart Committee, and I took it back to Copenhagen and our committee here.

In Copenhagen we have managed to get the project funded by the Absalon Foundation. We have named it The Eric Nedergaard Scholarship after our dear Skålleague and hotelier Eric Nedergaard who passed away in 2010. Eric was highly interested in the education of young people in the tourism industry and supported it when he was alive. So when we contacted his brother, Mogens Nedergaard, the trustee of the Foundation, we received a very positive response. Today Karen Nedergaard, the daughter of Eric is a member of our club.

We contacted the Copenhagen International Hospitality College, and they had great interest for our program. They were willing to host the incoming student and they also assisted us with finding the outgoing student.

We have found it of great importance to make sure to select a young person who has the qualifications needed for spending 3 months, far away, in a different culture and environment. The age 23 is perfect, and we have received very positive feedback from all involved in the program, including the two young skål members, Eva and Bonnie.

Skål is getting good exposure from this program and Denmark and Tasmania are now connected with stronger links. The program is also promoting the tourism in the two countries and increasing the understanding of the culture in both places.

We hope to continue in the years to come with a program once a year. And we will be very happy to advise other Skål Clubs of how to work on a Young Skål Exchange Program. We feel it adds great value to our Skål lives. We urge other twin clubs to engage in a similar program. If you need further information, we will be happy to assist you. Contact Lone Ricks at info@travelart.dk

The Skål President in Copenhagen, Mr. Per Schmidt and the Copenhagen Board has shown great support to the local Young Skål committee, Lone Ricks (chair), Arshad Khokhar and Johan Widing. Both clubs have been able to find great support from its members who are providing the work placements for the young skålleagues. And thanks to our friends in Hobart , Mr. David Reed, Ms. Sue Goldstone, Ms. Jennifer Fitzpatric and President Greg Illingworth and many more, we have experienced a great joy in working on the program. We are proud of being skålleagues and being able to initiate such a wonderful and meaningful project, focusing on Young People, between two cities.
SKÅL

Lone Ricks