Hotel School Closes

[manxman8180]

So, first you find out that the well respected 'International Hotel School' you have (probably) paid a decent wedge of cash to attend has gone tits up and you're going to have nowhere to stay (let alone learn).

 

Then you get a visit from immigration telling you that unless you get a certain type of training job within the next 28 days, you'll be deported from the Island and subsequently the UK.

 

What a nice couple of days.

 

As a side issue, many of these peeps hold a variety of jobs within the retail / service sector (McDonalds, Spar, Co-op etc) which will no doubt give the employers a nice headache just before the busiest time of the year.

 

 

MR Story Link

[Albert Tatlock]

That's bad. Who was responsible for regulating the place? How can an educational facility just go bust like that - and at such short notice? Can IOM college step in somehow?

[TerryMcCann]

*adopts cynical viewpoint*

 

I wonder how long it will be before The Mannin announces it will be open to paying guests for TT fortnight

[Beckett]

*adopts cynical viewpoint*

 

I wonder how long it will be before The Mannin announces it will be open to paying guests for TT fortnight

 

LOL - said the same thing @ work this arvo

[jim]

That's bad. Who was responsible for regulating the place? How can an educational facility just go bust like that - and at such short notice? Can IOM college step in somehow?

 

 

I can't imagine the place was ever regulated and if it was, it was badly. The whole thing appered to be a scam I'm supprised it got away with it for so long.

Thank god its shutdown!

 

On the down side that means less oriental ladies about!

[VinnieK]

That's bad. Who was responsible for regulating the place? How can an educational facility just go bust like that - and at such short notice? Can IOM college step in somehow?

 

Some guy from the school made a video of his accommodation and put it up on YouTube a while back - by the looks of it the school didn't have much money to throw around in the first place. A major factor in the school going bust was probably the expansion of higher education in the UK during 90's which saw a lot of new universities offering courses similar to the one offered by the Isle of Man, only with better budgets and accomodation, the increased cachet of being chartered as a university, and being situated in places that still see a substantial amount of tourism.

 

The suddeness of the closure is perculiar though, especially after the move to Douglas - I hope there's a full investigation into the school's accounts that will establish whether or not they can justify accepting the current cohort of students. I know that when university departments close the institution in question often makes arrangements with other universities to accept their students, I truly hope that will happen here.

[Fossils]

I heard it is to be another part of the Island's "Heritage", and for a big figure.

[Lonan3]

It was always a money-making scheme rather than a genuine educational facility.

I was, however, disgusted by the response from the DTi Minister who's only concern seemed to be to extend the students' visas so that there will be enough shop/hotel workers to cope with the TT Festival. After that, it appears, the poor so and sos can just be put on the boat that leaves every morning!

When the 'Catering School' gave the impression of being successful, the IoM Government were happy to endorse it and to proclaim that success. Now that the shaky edifice has finally fallen apart, I think that government should start looking at its moral responsibility to those who are left here - their families probably having mortgaged their whole futures to give them what they expected to be a reasonable chance in life - rather than just proclaiming concern for local businesses that can't find staff because they won't pay decent wages or offer decent conditions of employment.

[Albert Tatlock]

It was always a money-making scheme rather than a genuine educational facility.

I was, however, disgusted by the response from the DTi Minister who's only concern seemed to be to extend the students' visas so that there will be enough shop/hotel workers to cope with the TT Festival. After that, it appears, the poor so and sos can just be put on the boat that leaves every morning!

When the 'Catering School' gave the impression of being successful, the IoM Government were happy to endorse it and to proclaim that success. Now that the shaky edifice has finally fallen apart, I think that government should start looking at its moral responsibility to those who are left here - their families probably having mortgaged their whole futures to give them what they expected to be a reasonable chance in life - rather than just proclaiming concern for local businesses that can't find staff because they won't pay decent wages or offer decent conditions of employment.

What he said.

 

Plus, I think most HND's 'take their finals' May/June so (perhaps - hopefully) this current year will be less affected. However, from their website it appears some courses run over 27 months.

 

If any students are affected, surely there is some sort of emergency plan that could be put together with teachers at the school and perhaps the IOM college - or the school could be 'administratively bailed out' till the current run of students are clear (again perhaps in conjunction with the IOM college to keep costs down).

 

Otherwise a closure like this could do quite significant damage to the reputation of the island internationally, as many of these students also come from quite respectable and senior backgrounds back home e.g. when I was at University a fellow student and friend headed back after the course to marry his defence ministers daughter. Despite some of the impressions of these people that I hear - always remember that people are often not who or what you think they are. One of the best places for a foreigner to learn English is working in retail no matter what their background - just think where and from whom you actually learn your German, French, Spanish etc. when on holiday etc. - pound to a penny it's mostly from retailers, hoteliers and shoppers.

[Albert Tatlock]

Latest from MR:

 

Reaction to hotel school closure

 

Hilton hotel response to closure "Students from the School - many from overseas - say the course meant everthing to them - and their families back home will suffer too".

 

I am really annoyed at this. I know it's a business, but at the end of the day if the IOM Business School suddenly went bust and our own kids were affected there would be outrage and an uproar.

 

Many of these people have worked here and paid tax (albeit only for a year or two) but also their predecessors have also paid tax into the system too - and all of them have paid for the teachers etc. (upwards of 25 people employed there) to pay tax into the system every year. We have also used the school in marketing the island.

 

£10 here can be the equivalent of a few days work or even a weeks work or more in some places where they are from. IMO, we owe these people far more than just a boat ticket.

[mannin]

There is a good article here clicky if you take this as factual and do some maths.

 

76 people who have each paid £8400 (5 months ago) means that £638,400 was paid in to the company, this makes you wonder how it might have become bankrupt.

[Albert Tatlock]

There is a good article here clicky if you take this as factual and do some maths.

 

76 people who have each paid £8400 (5 months ago) means that £638,400 was paid in to the company, this makes you wonder how it might have become bankrupt.

Though 25 employees on, say, £20K a year is £500K.

[mannin]

Though 25 employees on, say, £20K a year is £500K.

 

but take into account the other 50 (ish) students, those were only the ones doing that one course from Mumbai, no mention of all the others.

[VinnieK]

I was, however, disgusted by the response from the DTi Minister who's only concern seemed to be to extend the students' visas so that there will be enough shop/hotel workers to cope with the TT Festival. After that, it appears, the poor so and sos can just be put on the boat that leaves every morning!

 

I agree. It's appalling that in the first instance the students were given nothing more than 28 days notice to leave the Island, but it's just as bad to let them stay just as long as they can provide workers for TT week without making any commitment to their welfare or trying to help them find similar courses elsewhere.

[Deejay Denzel]

From Energy FM News, Can you believe what Mr Dossor is saying!

 

There are real fears about gaps in the island's catering market in the run up to TT following the news the International Hotel School has closed its doors.

 

A large number of the foreign pupils held down part-time jobs at cafés and restaurants here.

 

It was announced yesterday around 90 students will have to pack their bags after the company which owns the school went into financial difficulties.

 

Students have been told they've 26 days left to leave the Isle of Man.

 

Around 34% of McDonald's workforce are students at the school.

 

HR Manager, Andrew Dossor said the announcement's knocked them all for six.

 

Mr Dossor told Energy FM McDonald's is now faced with a crisis.

 

Bosses may have to consider taking on economic migrants from Eastern Europe to fill positions.

 

Another option is to raise prices, which would attract fewer customers and therefore economise on man-power.