As part of SIPAS Work Package-2, a two-day intensive workshop was organized to bridge the gap between academia and the tourism and hospitality industry. The workshop brought together key stakeholders from both sectors to deliberate on aligning academic outcomes with evolving industry needs.
The brainstorming discussions centered on identifying thrust areas that support long-term sustainability, equip tourism and hospitality students with job-ready skills, and foster innovative learning aligned with evolving market dynamics.Day One discussions with tourism and hospitality stakeholders highlighted key concerns to be addressed in curriculum design, aligning with the industry-academia strategic partnership.
Outcome of Day-One workshop with Industry Stakeholders:
1. Institutions must integrate Theory with Practice where the curriculum should include industry-focused projects and simulation-based experiences to enhance practical learning.
2. Training in essential Industry Tools like Property Management Systems and marketing software to improve job readiness. This must be addressed by course designing.
3. Recommendations were made by industry stakeholders to focus on gender inclusivity, performance-based evaluation, and molding students’ attitude and industry ethics from the start.
4. Students must enter into the industry with deeper knowledge about how work actually functions in the hospitality domain—from operations to guest interactions.
5. Institutions must embed purpose-driven orientation sessions right from the first semester to instill seriousness and love for the profession.
6. Courses should incorporate reflective and experiential learning methods that link academic content with real-life scenarios.
7. Communication labs and role-play modules must be integrated to develop articulation and response handling.
8. Regular interactions with alumni and industry experts can help ground students with reality and spark motivation.
9. Institutions must equip the curriculum or module which Encourage personal projects or capstones that reflect individual interest in various verticals—culinary, operations, marketing, tourism, etc.
10. Institutions must be able to drive their students or oriented toward sustainability and entrepreneurship, naturally evolved into a deep critique of institutional practices, student preparedness, and the necessity of integrating real-time sustainable methods and technical knowledge into hospitality education.
11. Present existing syllabus focuses heavily on theory. There’s a huge mismatch between what is taught and what the industry expects, especially when it comes to using industry-standard software and applications.
12. Students Lack of Real-Time Technical Exposure.Students receive theoretical input about tools like PMS, Tally, and CorelDRAW, but they lack hands-on experience. This creates a skill gap that becomes painfully evident during internships or placements.
Some of Sustainability Practices Highlighted by Industry Stakeholders to be part of course curriculum are:
1. Fuel-saving methods in laundry and air conditioning systems.
2. Recycling and reuse of wastewater for purposes like gardening.
3. Linen reuses initiatives to reduce laundry frequency and costs.
4. Plastic avoidance, promotion of glass bottles, and carrying reusable water bottles.
5. All these sustainable efforts also help increase the GOP (Gross Operating Profit) and enhance the hotel’s eco-reputation. Industry stakeholders also recommend:
6. Institutions must provide realistic portrayals of industry scenarios instead of painting an overly motivational picture. There should be transparent discussions about job roles, industry challenges, and salary brackets.
7. Curriculum redesign must involve industry stakeholders to keep academic content relevant and updated.
8. Practical training using real software (like PMS, Tally, CorelDRAW, marketing tools) should be prioritized over just teaching the theory of these tools.
9. Evaluation and grading systems should be ethical, based on actual understanding and skill demonstration, not rote memory or leniency.
10. Sustainability modules and awareness must be formally introduced into hospitality education.
11. Faculty training programs, similar to the Oberoi Group’s SCEP, should beconducted to keep teachers updated and aligned with industry needs.
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