The academic mutation

The yawning gap between the knowledge hospitality education imparts and the industry desires is going through a correction where courses are becoming concise; curriculum - need based; and finally, driven by industry feedbacks. The hospitality academic scenario is going through a reverberating change. By Sanjeev Bhar

If anything has the power to change a sector's outlook altogether for the better, it is considered to be "knowledge" the budding brigade of manpower gathers during its educational sojourn. In hospitality, a similar need has surfaced of late where it has been witnessed that the focus on education is going through an entire shift. Is it for the better or otherwise, only time will tell. Albeit, the shift is expected to bring about a marked improvement in the standard of manpower in hospitality and make the transition process easy for students metamorphosing into respected pros. Industry think-tank believes that it is high time when stringent action is taken to make education need specific when education has gone down in the dumps.

The question marks

Coming to the issue of making courses need-specific, almost everybody in the industry seems to agree on one point: the time is changing but curriculum designs remained stagnant making it not worthy enough for industry to look for qualified people on paper. Nisheeth Srivastava, executive director, Aura Institutes complains, "Today, we produce graduates who have all theoretical knowledge but lack skills. Whereas today, like in the past, hoteliers desire skill-based employees who can commit and contribute to development of new hotel properties." Lemuel Herbert, Associate Vice President & General Manager, The Park Bangalore feels there is a reason why courses today are considered misfit to industry requirements. He reasons, "Historically, work in hotels was perceived by Indians as opportunities for occupations as cooks, servers (waiters or bearers) in restaurants and as receptionists. For years, HMs in the country offered only diploma courses which further served to strengthen the notion that no great academic prowess needed to be demonstrated save for acquisition of skills and training. This limited vision to only diplomas and/or certifications." The challenge of immense hospitality growth has opened doors for management institutes yet hotels are facing a scarcity of right resources. The search remains on but where will it end or rather how remains to be seen. Hospitality is therefore seen as a branch of management science and consequently, practical application and aptitude will fetch us the reward being looked at.

Curriculum hara-kiri

Today, IT needs have impinged into the hospitality sector too and thus, made the whole business change its outlook. Suborno Bose, chief mentor, Indian Institute of Hotel Management says, "Till the late 90s hospitality education was narrowly focussed around a curriculum that was made in consultation with the ILO and the WHO and was rightly coined as a 'Hotel Management' education, which offered only a diploma certificate to students. The education then centered mainly on practical work based skills with sufficient inputs on product knowledge focusing on the manufacturing aspects of the industry." This system of education served the purpose of producing skill level employees in the last decade. As the dimension of operations in the industry has changed in recent years (due to intense competition & geographical expansion across borders) the requirement for managers with increasing capabilities to formulate business strategies, evolve marketing expertise, leverage the use of cutting edge IT technologies, address the demanding human resource problems and balance revenue models to suite emerging consumer & business needs have become more important, remarks Bose. He carries the debate further by alleging that the degree offerings by many institutions today do not fill the above-mentioned requirements of the industry optimally. The person-to-person hospitality has been taken over by person-to-machine. "Hospitality education did not budge from where it was decades ago with minor changes when the need is to have syllabi from skill based diploma programme to management based degree programmes. The change has been done by adding some management subjects and deleting subjects like hygiene or food science and no change to the core subject's syllabi," Srivastava remarks. In all, for a right curriculum, there should be emphasis on relevant trends of imparting knowledge and most importantly, the requisite knowledge.

The situation is changing though. Now, when hoteliers have taken on the mantle to impart education, breeding students as per their requisition, the situation could be only change for the better. There is an effort to bring about a synergy between a working hotel environment and education imparted to non-professionals. This is done by a collaborative effort where hotel schools are built nearby hotels where regular practical trainings could be given. Suggests Bose, "Commencing right in the first year when the student joins a hospitality management course, he / she should be exposed to classroom experiences for concepts and theories and should also be given enough opportunities (through hotel environment) practice the art and science of the abstractions. This is one of the best method of developing and practicing skills in real time." He feels the problem at present lies in the gap where many students performing well in colleges often find it difficult to survive in real times in the industry. Bose further adds, "It is indeed important now that hospitality management courses are taught in institutes and colleges, which either have attached running hotels in the campus or are truly hotel school in design and operation." In brief, the exposure to the industry should take place at the time the when the student trains in the institute.

Identifying right course

As more and more attention is laid on training of students, the vitals about curriculum also fetched some minute observations. The scope of short term courses in this regard has gained a much needed momentum as realised by the hospitality sector. It is believed that there has not been many quality institutions providing technically sound curriculum for the students to find a strong footing in the ever-competitive industry. Putting a new perspective, Sunita Das, director & CEO of Gras Academy says, "Hotelier these days are looking for staff, especially in the lower cadres, who have a strong understanding of hotel/ restaurant operations so that the organisation can train them further according to their need. The technical and quality soft skill programmes in short term courses are somewhat missing today and this academy aims at contributing to the society by offering quality education to youth with a focus towards employment." The demand is particularly estimated to be high for various budget and no-frills hotels who keep manpower to room ratio to a minimum. "Many budget hotel chains are keen on recruiting students with basic functional knowledge and strong technical orientation. After the completion of three months on-the-job training, we are expecting the hotels to absorb them as well," Das remarks.

To upgrade courses, a synergy is taking place between the industry and hospitality academic stalwarts. "A paradox of thoughts and ideas between faculty and hotel managers must exist for progression and research as a consequence of which students will get the best inputs. Globalisation of best practices in the hospitality business should be a focused area for institutes to delve into," feels Herbert. The trend is clear; experienced hands are now coming to education front or collaborating with institutes in guiding them with course contents. Industry feedbacks is making way for right kind of knowledge percolating back to the industry through young guns in the learning phase of life. In order to make the courses strategically fit for the industry, the feedbacks are contributing towards a change in curriculum. "There should be proper demarcation for the entry level of certificate, diploma and graduate level pass outs and the curriculum for graduation level must improve from what is existing," says Srivastava. Talking of syllabus followed in institutes actually varies widely and that raises many doubts. There is no unanimity among the think-tank at top of education pyramid about the ideal course content for a three-year programme, one-year short-term course or just technical courses for 3-6 months. Another issue is whether there are takers of those courses and how viable they are for the industry in the longer run. Bose feels that the challenge lies in going about making a change in the course and raises some issues to ponder on:

Restructuring of the syllabus and the respective learning outcomes of the various modules so that they impart management skills in young students

Remodelling the classroom experiences of the students to include increasing levels of case study based learning and teaching approaches. This method improves critical thinking and broadens the perspectives for solving problems.

Bridging the gap between the institute and industry by creating slots to include industry speakers whereby real life experiences can be shared with the young & budding student managers, and Design assessment criteria whereby students are prompted to refer to theories and concepts, which are more international in nature.

Defining the contents

There are varied opinions floating within the academia about the way a course should be developed. The issue is which area of hospitality is less important than other and for whom. A course need not teach everything to a 10+2 student. Says Praveen Roy, MD of newly launched UEI Global, "The French classical menu is a classic example of how obsolete the hospitality courses could be. Some of the topics taught even today are actually outdated and are no more in use. The courses should aim at making students identify the industry and its potent needs."

The courses are being seen to create a niche within itself. It will be served according to one's aspirations. Now, master's programmes have also come to limelight in the hospitality sector especially for those who wish to pursue broad managerial needs for running a hotel. Bose avers, "Design of learning outcomes, which addresses the broad managerial requirements of the modern day hospitality industry and not just the hotel industry in isolation will be successful. It is vital to be able to progress the present form of the hospitality courses from the skill level modules to the higher management level subjects with greater emphasis on critical thinking on broader managerial issues affecting hospitality businesses in the country today."

Social responsibility (read environmentally vigil) in management aspects and public health apart from acquiring entrepreneurial spirit for the sector would see students grow as successful future pros. Srivastava adds, the difference between hospitality education in India vis-à-vis abroad needs to shortened by adding flexibility in learning. "In India the admission rules of the AICTE from 18 to 21 years of age restricts interested working people to develop themselves with the academic knowledge for the same trade. The relaxation would see Indian hospitality education go ahead by miles," he remarks. Conventional approaches has to done away with. "The need of the hour is to reform old norm of looking at qualities and minimum qualifications required for entry level jobs and never at higher education required at entrepreneurial or top management levels. We should get educated and quality manpower developed to become business managers from grass root levels and this will give impetus to hospitality education in India," assures Herbert.

Addressing future

The repair work is in progress to make hospitality education fit in sync with the industry. The prudent question then would be the way these students will be absorbed in the industry. If things go according to plans then the new breed of graduates, one or two years down the line, would be readily taken by the industry. Srivastava believes that the success lies in the exposure imparted during training. Earlier, the hardship of the operational life and less entry level wages in comparison to other industries led to people going to other industries. It is time when institutes should get into a constant evolution mode to cater to the dynamically changing hotel scenario across the globe. "They should have the autonomy to tweak the curriculum according to contemporary trends and practices and not stick to the old and beaten path," tells Herbert. It is time for hotel institutes to align with the apparent change-taking place and set the records straightaway with the industry.