A new £100,000 initiative has been launched by the Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland in a bid to help boost standards across the nation's hospitality and tourism sectors.

The Emerging Talent Scholarships programme will provide chances for the 184,000 people currently working within the industry to embark on a range of courses and experiences across the world. Around 100 scholarships will be offered during 2011, which it is hoped will generate an additional £1m for Scotland's £4.1bn tourism economy through promoting best practice and improving staff retention.

Placements will include opportunities in Michelin-starred kitchens and at six-star resorts in Dubai, while participants can take enrol on courses at the Disney Institute, Florida, US, or the Ivy League Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in New York State, US. HIT Scotland chief executive David Cochrane said: "The scholarship scheme is about more that training staff for the here and now. We have refined the scholarship over the years to provide long term benefits for the individuals involved, their employers and the industry.

"The experiences are about broadening horizons and raising the levels of what people think they can achieve. They come back from the scholarship having seen a new way of managing or organising their business and their career." Funding has been raised through a series of events held across the country, while a number of hospitality firms have provided sponsorship. Applications close on 31 October.