Employability is a catchphrase that echoes around the halls of all institutions of higher learning. Graduate unemployment has been attributed to the fact that young individuals do not have the skills to take on ‘real’ or full-timed salaried jobs, and often floundered when faced with work-related encounters.

The challenge for many universities is balancing academic content with transferrable skills that students need, to manage workplace demands.

In the School of Hospitality and Service Management (SHSM), a blend of teaching and learning methods are used which enable students to not only understand the theoretical fundamentals of the programmes they undertake but also to acquire essential skills that make them work-ready – hence ‘employable’.

At SHSM, students are engaged with an immersive approach to learn. In the Events Management programme for example, students perform a wide range of tasks, related to marketing, sponsorship, event logistics, risk management, budgeting, programming, entertainment, people management and computer applications. Students work in teams to plan and execute events, which are usually tied in with a Corporate Social Responsibility cause.

The typical learning process in an Events Management programme involves three stages: Planning, Execution and Post-Event Analysis. The process-oriented approach to learning (whereby educators act as facilitators instead of merely delivering facts) enables students to exercise critical skills involved at every stage.

For example, students are empowered to critique and refine project ideas (Planning), liaise with relevant stakeholders for the successful implementation of their projects (Execution), and be accountable for the delivery of the desired outcomes (Post-Event Analysis). Students who participate in experiential learning thus have the chance to network with industry representatives and have a better grasp of real challenges and solutions within the work environment.

Students’ technical skills are also developed and polished in carvery, wine service, room cleaning, or the use of front office operating systems through demonstrations and videos. Students then apply the knowledge gained, to the training kitchen in a hotel setting. Independence in learning underpins each learning method which helps students gain confidence both technically and tactically.

Immersive approaches such as role play and internships are also used to develop technical skills like food and beverage preparation, housekeeping, handling of kitchen operations and managing the front office. Through role play, students have shown improvement in oral communication and problem-solving skills.

Students are placed in 18- to 20-week industrial internships to gain workplace exposure and hands-on experience. During these internships, industry practitioners evaluate various aspects of our students’ skills including professionalism, soft skills, management potential and communication abilities.

Students, in turn, take every chance to apply their academic knowledge at the workplace. The differences in practices further hone the students’ critical evaluation of the skills and knowledge needed for their chosen career.

Academic perspectives may differ from industry practices. To manage that gap, a Kaizen approach is employed, which includes regularly consulting with industry professionals for expert advice on establishing, advancing, and strengthening the relevance of course content. This ensures that the School’s efforts to prepare students for employability are continuously improved.

Have the approaches discussed worked? The answer is a definite ‘yes’. Feedback from industry partners have been very positive and students have gone on to being gainfully employed post their course at the University. There are also many young entrepreneurs among the School’s alumni who have become valuable individuals in the ever-evolving hospitality industry and stand as testimony to the University's dynamic hospitality programme.

Vijaya Malar Arumugam, Belinda Fong and Karen Lui
School of Hospitality and Service Management
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This article was adapted from Spotlight on Teaching (Volume 1)