Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a briefing on milestones of Malaysia Centre of Tourism and Hospitality Education (MyCenTHE) regarding its role as a nation-building exercise in developing human capital talent for future sustainable hospitality and tourism in Malaysia. Under a national initiative by the ministry of education, hospitality and tourism educational institutes in the country have set out to better prepare graduates for industry. MyCenTHE aspires to build a hospitality and tourism cluster (threefold) so that Malaysia is able to increase its annual output of hospitality and tourism personnel from 20,000 in 2009 to 50,000 in 2020 and increase the share of graduates with diploma- or degree-level awards from 13% to 50% by 2020. These expectations can only be achieved by creating a sustainable pool of workers for this sector. It was in this context for which “MyCenTHE” was conceived. Design/methodology/approach The current study is based on documentary analysis of secondary sources, qualitative in nature, and presents a case study of MyCenTHE with its key accomplishments in promoting hospitality and tourism education in Malaysia. Findings The hospitality and tourism industry in Malaysia is set to create 600,000 new job opportunities and in so doing, will need many more skilled, work-ready graduates in the coming decade. This paper highlights the collective efforts of the private higher education sector together with some selected public institutions (polytechnics) under the umbrella of the ministry of education through the MyCenTHE platform in promoting hospitality and tourism education nationwide via national awareness campaigns, conferences, skill competitions, seminars, forums and corporate social responsibility projects. Originality/value This paper is of value in its own context and in particular support from ministry and related authorities, 26 institutions of higher education working together, approaches to hundreds of local schools and thousands of audiences/participants in awareness campaigns.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to promote the adoption of a work-based learning (WBL) approach by highlighting the benefits to students, organizations and the economy. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a review and synthesis of current literature, including two separate case studies, which serve to demonstrate the practical applications of entrepreneurial education in different countries and how this application works to strengthen economies and improve communities. Findings Learning entrepreneurship in a real-world environment can bridge the gap between traditional, classroom instruction and idea-driven product and service development. It is a business-effective approach that achieves measurable results. Traditional education, typified by mastery of facts and evaluation by testing, can morph into creative, research-inspired solutions that fulfill public and private organizational needs. Success is irrefutable, measured by tangible results. In WBL, students can use industry-standard technologies and collaborate with mentors, clients and customers. They can work as individuals and in teams, with their entrepreneurial education beginning as early as elementary school. In the process, students learn to be motivated by their own achievements, rather than grades. They learn to engage in creative problem-solving, based upon current data, and measure their ability to deal with challenge and failure through an iterative process of problem-solving. Originality/value The completion of this research study serves to highlight the potential benefits that Malaysia could attain through the adoption of WBL within the country’s school systems.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the ways in which hospitality and tourism education in Malaysia is working with the Malaysian Industry 4.0 framework. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach was used to conduct 30 interviews with respondents working for academic institutions and local or foreign companies. Findings The analysis of data helped to identify themes relating to current foreign partnerships within this area of industry. Originality/value Through the resolution of this research question, specific recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders are made, which, if implemented, may facilitate further improvements in tourism and hospitality education in support of industry in Malaysia.

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Developing Natuna: Integrating Tourism, Marineand Infrastructure Strategies towardsImplementing Indonesia’s Global MaritimeFulcrum BY Tirta Nugraha Mursitama, Yi Ying, Bahtiar Saleh Abbas