Abstract
Devaluing of hospitality degrees, university consolidation practices and increased competition in the hospitality education market all threaten the future of hospitality university degrees. Industry dissatisfaction with graduate employability transverses disciplinary boundaries and is particularly relevant for hospitality with a perceived lack of graduate work readiness. This paper examines the contribution of work-integrated-learning (WIL) to enhancement of hospitality graduate employability. A mixed methodology comprising a quantitative online survey and qualitative focus groups was employed to garner the perspectives of recent graduates, employers and educators on WIL. It was determined that participation in well designed and resourced WIL programs constituted a valuable and crucial source of industry experience enhancing graduate employability. Necessity of alignment of hospitality university degrees to industry careers was further emphasised.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Changing Landscape: The Impact of Emerging Markets and Destinations: Proceedings of the 26th Annual CAUTHE Conference, 8-11 February 2016, Sydney, Australia |
| Publisher | Torrens University |
| Pages | 497-513 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780987050793 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
| Event | CAUTHE Conference - Duration: 8 Feb 2016 → … |
Conference
| Conference | CAUTHE Conference |
|---|---|
| Period | 8/02/16 → … |
Keywords
- work integrated learning
- hospitality industry
- study and teaching (higher)
