Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Education Foundation (CHTAEF) Chairman, Tom Pas, wore a huge smile last night at Caribbean Marketplace 2010 in Puerto Rico as he happily accepted over US$140,000 donated by strong friends of Caribbean youth & professional development towards the CHTAEF 2010 Scholarship Programme.

Pas commented: “CHTAEF is thrilled that long-term partners Virgin Holidays, Yucatan Holidays, FirstCaribbean International Bank, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Johnson & Wales University continue to be stellar supporters of the Scholarship Program which to date has awarded over US$1 million to Caribbean Nationals wishing to pursue or upgrade their skills in the regional Tourism & Hospitality Industry.”

Joining long-term partners were Schiller International University, Florida International University & the University of Memphis, all offering valuable matching tuition dollar scholarships to Caribbean youth wishing to pursue under-graduate or graduate programs in the industry.

Sunday also saw the launch of the Patricia Ecke Memorial Scholarship specifically targeting professional development for Hospitality Industry Sales & Marketing, Reservations or Branding team members.  Various universities offer excellent short courses in these disciplines and this is a first for the CHTAEF.  The Foundation is delighted to honor the memory of Patricia, who was passionate about the Caribbean and mentored many young people.

Pas was keen to emphasize the scope of the scholarships on offer in 2010.  In addition to the usual academic and professional development scholarships, 2010 sees an exciting Responsible Tourism internship program in Mexico with Yucatan Holidays and a Work Experience program partnering with various CHTA member hotels.

Full details about CHTAEF & the application forms for the Scholarship Programme 2010 can be found at www.chateducationfoundation.com.

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Education Foundation (CHTAEF) was established in 1987 as a stand-alone non-profit / tax-exempt organization, through which scholarships and special assistance would be made available for the education of Caribbean hotel industry personnel and students pursuing careers in tourism.  As part of its mission, the Education Foundation provides people throughout the Caribbean region with an awareness of the industry’s varied career opportunities, as well as technical and professional development.  Since 1987, the Education Foundation has awarded more than US$1 million in scholarships and grants to applicants who demonstrate a strong commitment to the hospitality and tourism industry.

For more information, visit www.chtaeducationfoundation.com.