Helping people get jobs fast

SURABAYA (JP): Bagus Supomo has always had an obsession; to help young people get jobs easily and help the hotel industry find capable and qualified human resources.

A veteran hotel employee, he knows too well how hotels find many of their new recruits disappointing after having spent a lot of money and time on their training.

After working at various hotels and restaurants in Surabaya, Bagus Supomo decided that he wanted to educate people on hotel management.

In 1988, with Rp 500,000, he established the Surabaya Hotel School (SHS). The money was only enough for the rental of the premises for two months. Chairs and other necessary equipment were arranged later. In the first year, he had 75 students.

He is so proud of his school today.

I was walking along Orchard Road in Singapore one day, and somebody called up to me. He said he was an alumnus of SHS and now was working in a hotel in Singapore."

And that is only one example. He still keeps letters from all over the world sent by alumni who were working in hotels, restaurants or on cruise ships. SHS has so far 8,000 graduates, most of them working in various places in Indonesia. And quite a number of them are working abroad.

The school is not easily found. It is located in Bratang area. Its setup is simple but it has the necessary facilities to run a hotel management program. It has a kitchen and bakery; a bar, a room for house keeping practice, a computer lab to teach hotel accounting and a language lab.

According to Bagus, the demand for his graduates is bigger than the supply due to the growing hotel and tourism industry in the country.

Bagus added that SHS charges its students Rp 3.5 millions for a full one-year program, saying that a large part of the fee is used for the practical lessons.

"These (liquor) bottles cost millions of rupiah."

"One salmon here costs about Rp 200,000. For one cooking class, we need to spend about Rp 700,000," he said.

But the fee is not a guarantee that all students will graduate from the school, he insisted.

"If a student fails, he may keep repeating the program, free of charge, until he pass."

Students at SHS are strictly forbidden from smoking in the school complex.

"This also helps them kick the habit. This is important for their career."

SHS instructors work for the related industries.

Among the classes given at SHS include food and beverage management, bar tending, guest relations, housekeeping, production (cooking, pastry making and baking), hotel management and accounting.

It also has Japanese cooking classes, and fruit and vegetable carving lessons.

One of its students, Yudi Sinyo, won the 2001 National Bartender competition. He now works at Westin Hotel here.

Many students said they were studying at SHS because they wanted to be employed immediately.

"I am studying here because I want to get a job fast," said Richard, a law graduate from a private university in Surabaya.

There are also engineering and medical graduates who are studying at SHS.

"Usually they take the six-month program. They may be going to study abroad and want to equip themselves with skills to find good jobs there," explained Bagus. Some housewives are also studying here to begin their own catering service. Age does not matter at SHS.

SHS is now planning to establish a campus on Jl. Joyoboyo 10, near the Jayabaya intercity bus terminal. -- Sirikit Syah