Calvia strengthens tourism training: eTalent brings students and businesses together

Calvia strengthens tourism training: eTalent brings students and businesses together

Casal de Peguera became a day of practice, networking and future prospects

On Wednesday the auditorium of the Casal de Peguera filled with the quiet rustle of brochures, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the chatter of around 350 students. Representatives from the hotel industry, environmental education and local administration had invited young people from IES Son Ferrer, IES Calvià and IES Bendinat to give them a direct insight into the everyday working life of the tourism sector.

The event was part of the eMallorca Experience and was organized by the town council together with IMEB; Ecoglobal Services and Events S.L. handled the implementation. The aim was not theoretical instruction, but a day of concrete impulses: which jobs exist, which skills are needed and how sustainability can be put into practice.

Mayor Juan Antonio Amengual emphasized in his short welcome that tourism for Calvia is far more than numbers on a balance sheet. It is about local jobs, service quality and how the sector can become more ecologically responsible. His appeal: young people should use the opportunity to meet employers and make initial contacts.

The program included three interactive short presentations. A professor from the University of the Balearic Islands highlighted the economic weight of tourism and explained how guest profiles are changing and why professional flexibility will become more important in the future. The language remained practical: examples from everyday island life made clear where the opportunities lie.

A speaker from Iberostar presented training and further education opportunities that the company offers locally. The focus was on linking professional training with social responsibility: nurturing local talent and training staff on environmental issues. The message resonated — many notes were taken and there were concrete inquiries about internships.

The series concluded with a contribution on eco and sustainable tourism. A managing director of a local provider urged the young listeners not to view sustainability as a label but as lived practice: from waste management in hotels to nature-friendly excursion offers. The audience listened attentively and asked questions about concrete projects.

In the subsequent panel discussion apprentices, graduates and managers from Port Adriano exchanged views on entry opportunities and learning paths. A certified nature and leisure guide described how additional qualifications can open doors, and an IT graduate explained how digital skills are increasingly in demand in hotel operations.

The atmosphere was informal and close-knit: teachers, students and business owners mingled, exchanged contacts and arranged visits to hotels and training facilities. Such encounters often have a more lasting effect than brochures — a personal handshake, an invitation to a taster day, a CV on the table.

For Calvia and Mallorca in general the format makes sense for several reasons: it strengthens local talent development, reduces the gap between school and working life and embeds sustainability in training. Municipalities with high tourist volumes in particular need work models that offer opportunities to local people.

A small but important side effect: events like this show that tourism is not limited to the high season. Even on a gray November day it was clear how the sector plans, trains and creates prospects — that is good for businesses and good for the people who live here.

Looking ahead: it would be desirable for these encounter formats to become more regular — with more internship places, closer cooperation between schools and businesses and clear follow-up offers for participants. When training pathways are visible and accessible, the barrier to taking the first step is lower.

At the end of the day many left the Casal with concrete contacts in their phones and the feeling that the local job market offers opportunities. For an island that depends heavily on tourism, these are not empty words but a practical investment in the future.