Published 12. December 2019.
Today Valamar, Croatia's largest tourism company, and five higher education institutions in Croatia have signed a Cooperation Agreement for the advancement and development of educational programs at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb.
The agreement was signed by Željko Kukurin, CEO of Valamar Riviera, Jurica Pavičić, Dean of the Faculty of Economics, University of Zagreb, Robert Zenzerović, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Tourism Dr. Mijo Mirković in Pula, Dora Smolčić Jurdana, Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija and Maja Fredotović, Dean of the Faculty of Economics in Split. The University of Dubrovnik will join to cooperate on these educational projects as well.
Valamar is the first tourism company in Croatia to initiate this type of business education. Together with leading educational institutions and academic experts V-Executive will build the most talented employees from the company into future leaders. The two-year business education course V-Executive offers students a complete set of knowledge and skills needed to develop a successful career in the tourism and hospitality industry.
It is based on the most recent academic knowledge as well as the practical experience of lecturers which will enable the professional and personal development of students. The partners in this project are leading institutions and academic experts in the field of economics, business economics and tourism in Croatia. More than 25 lecturers from key academic institutions, Valamar managers and leading experts from numerous fields will participate in the V-Executive program.
“Employee care is the key strategy for managing guest satisfaction. Our employee's knowledge and skills are at the core of service excellence. With this in mind, Valamar has developed the V-Excellence education and training program that will be realized in collaboration with the best experts and institutions in Croatia. We are particularly proud of the V-Executive education program which will provide our talented employees education modeled after numerous executive programs from business schools worldwide and applying the best academic and business practices from Croatia, " said Željko Kukurin , CEO of Valamar Riviera.
V-Executive consists of 27 modules divided into eight major topic areas, and each addresses specific subjects related to the tourism business. The number of participants in a module is limited to 40 students. Depending on their preferences and work experience, participants will be able to choose the entire program or individual topic areas and modules related specifically to their work position or desired field of development. The program begins in January 2020.
Vatroslav Škare, associate professor at the Faculty of Economics, University of Zagreb and director of the V-Executive program added: "Tourism is one of the most important industries in Croatia, but the day-to-day changes in the business present a major challenge for tourism managers. The V-Executive program is specific for its combination of academic knowledge and business practice, meeting the needs of this dynamic industry. This program offers managers knowledge in specific areas which will enable them to respond to future challenges."
The V-Executive program is part of the umbrella educational platform Valamar Excellence, a lifelong tourism and hospitality business learning program which offers all Valamar employees the opportunity to further their personal and professional development.