PHOENIX– Thirty students from Tokyo, Japan, who are part of the Global Launch program at Arizona State University, will be interning and sharing their English-language hospitality and tourism knowledge alongside Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Navigator volunteers this fall. The students will continue their hands-on training until Nov. 27, 2018.
Global Launch at ASU has been partnering with the J.F. Oberlin Airline Hospitality Program in Tokyo since 2013. Global Launch at ASU provides students the opportunity to strengthen their English by learning essential vocabulary and information related to customer service communication before, during and after a flight, as well as the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting.
This will be the sixth consecutive year that Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Global Launch at ASU have partnered for the internship program, which allows students to work side-by-side with Phoenix Sky Harbor Navigators. Navigators are experts when it comes to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Working with these savvy volunteers, Global Launch students will have the opportunity to guide passengers through the terminals, learn integral customer service skills and even train on how to handle the occasional unforeseeable questions or requests that comes with the airport territory.
“This internship with the Navigator Program at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is a vital component of the students’ program at Global Launch. They not only gain valuable experience, but also a boost in their self-confidence which will help them in the job market,” said Claire McLaughlin, Senior Global Educator and Program Coordinator at Global Launch.
As part of the ASU Global Launch program, students take other classes to help them with their communication and listening skills for a total of 21 hours of English instruction a week. They also engage in role-play scenarios to help travelers with all aspects of their airport experience.
According to McLaughlin, “the most important result of this internship is the cross-cultural experience that takes place between the students and the Navigators. Strong friendships are formed and goodbyes are met with many hugs and tears.”