While people could discuss at length whether talents are inborn or acquired, the most famous mouse in the world offers a course on how to develop it.
This year marks the start of the Shanghai Disney Resort Talent Class to be conducted in some of the schools in the country, as announced through the resort’s website.
To officially launch the program or what the resort also refers to as “comprehensive talent development training,” Shanghai Disney and one participating institute, the Shanghai Second Polytechnic University (SSPU) took part in a signing ceremony on Jan. 6.
Some people from the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission viewed the signing.
Ten schools--among them, Rizhao Polytechnic aka Rizhi (Shandong Province); Sanda University (Shanghai); Shanghai Jianqiao University; SSPU; Tourism College of Zhejiang (Hangzhou City); Zhengzhou Tourism College (Henan Province)--inked a cooperation agreement with Shanghai Disney.
They shall comprise the very first batch who will participate in the program, which “aims to support campus talent development” and “to elevate tourism education and service standards,” according to the resort’s press release.
Shanghai Disney offers paid internship to students of its partner schools. After graduation, the “passionate young talents” can apply to become “Cast Members,” the term Disney uses to refer to its employees.
The resort’s general manager, Philippe Gas said that the program would serve as another initiative by Shanghai Disney to support local tourism in Shanghai and, in a broader scale, the service industry in Yangtze River Delta.
Gas added that the resort would contribute to the development of Shanghai “through talent education and cultivation, leveraging the best Disney practices and resources from around the world.”
Prior to its opening on June 6, 2016, the $5.5-billion 963-acre (389 hectares) theme park already generated thousands of jobs for Shanghai residents as well as for other locals across China.
Lara Tiam, Shanghai Disney’s Vice President of Human Resources, said: “Disney is known across the world as an employer of choice, providing a wide range of unique Disney training programs, including our traditional immersive training . . .”
SSPU President Yu Tao said, “I believe by working with Disney, we can help enhance our vocational education and benefit the entire local tourism industry,” quoted the Global Times.
SSPU has been a partner school since 2014.