Competency; Supply Chain; Market Chain
CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM: RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND
Introduction Hospitality students who graduate today face many challenges when finding a job in today’s competitive job market. Graduates must meet the expectations of the prospective companies as well as recruiters’ expectations. If they are negative, it will take a lot of success to reverse the first impression which is marked by frustrated expectations, inability to find suitable and decent jobs, and inefficient job search. When investment in education and training is expected to yield some real world rewards, there is generally a failure to meet young people’s expectations and needs. Some young people are sought after while still in school or university by organizations hungering for a certain type of knowledge which is hard to come by among the existing labor force. Organizations spend a substantial amount of time on recruiting and selecting appropriate staff not only with years of experience among applicants, graduates with no, or limited experience, are also targeted for entry level positions. As one of the core segments of the service industry, the hospitality industry has experienced the same challenges as others in maintaining skilled and qualified workforce to cope with the current challenges and to cater to the changing needs of today’s customers. Graduates apply for positions with the expectation that they posses the skills required in order to perform the required tasks of the position adequately. Internship programs have been put in place in order to assist graduates in entering the workplace. Internships are offered by universities in response to “calls by employers for greater job preparedness on the part of students. It is a means to provide students with an opportunity to develop skills tied to job contexts” (Grabowsky & Harden Fritz, 2007). It is a form of training seen as a means of getting first applicable skills which will give undergraduate students a head start on the market
THE PROBLEM: RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND
Introduction Hospitality students who graduate today face many challenges when finding a job in today’s competitive job market. Graduates must meet the expectations of the prospective companies as well as recruiters’ expectations. If they are negative, it will take a lot of success to reverse the first impression which is marked by frustrated expectations, inability to find suitable and decent jobs, and inefficient job search. When investment in education and training is expected to yield some real world rewards, there is generally a failure to meet young people’s expectations and needs. Some young people are sought after while still in school or university by organizations hungering for a certain type of knowledge which is hard to come by among the existing labor force. Organizations spend a substantial amount of time on recruiting and selecting appropriate staff not only with years of experience among applicants, graduates with no, or limited experience, are also targeted for entry level positions. As one of the core segments of the service industry, the hospitality industry has experienced the same challenges as others in maintaining skilled and qualified workforce to cope with the current challenges and to cater to the changing needs of today’s customers. Graduates apply for positions with the expectation that they posses the skills required in order to perform the required tasks of the position adequately. Internship programs have been put in place in order to assist graduates in entering the workplace. Internships are offered by universities in response to “calls by employers for greater job preparedness on the part of students. It is a means to provide students with an opportunity to develop skills tied to job contexts” (Grabowsky & Harden Fritz, 2007). It is a form of training seen as a means of getting first applicable skills which will give undergraduate students a head start on the market