Developing WIL curriculum which enhances hospitality students capabilities

Abstract

PurposeTo satisfy multiple stakeholders’ employability goals, higher education providers have introduced Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programs to provide opportunities for students to develop the required skills. Yet despite this increased focus, gaps in graduate capabilities persist. Thus, the paper explores the roles of educators, industry and students in co-creating WIL curriculum which provides transformative learning experiences.Design/methodology/approachA survey was designed using the Professional Capability Framework which has been validated in other discipline areas. Mean scores, standard deviation and a one-way ANOVA test were computed to identify gaps between the essential capabilities required for supervisory roles and student's levels of proficiency.FindingsThe study highlights the complexity of creating curriculum which meets the needs of multiple stakeholders. The discussion highlights that whilst educators may lead the development of WIL curriculum, without the active engagement of students and industry, gaps in graduates' “work-readiness” will persist. Opportunities for tripartite learning are highlighted.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of utilising a convenience sample are acknowledged.Practical implicationsPractical recommendations are provided for industry, educators and students. Areas for future research are identified to understand the roles of multiple stakeholders in the development of the future hospitality workforces.Originality/valueThe study is the first to apply the Professional Capability Framework in a hospitality context. The study further contributes implications in relation to curriculum design and identifies opportunities for transformative learning for educators, industry and students'.

The integration of Graduate Attributes within the hospitality management curriculum at higher education institutions

“…6990 higher learning institutions are failing to embed GAs into their curriculum (Halibas et al 2020)- Staunton et al 2021) outline the difficulty of dealing with various higher learning stakeholders, which could be confusing due to varying responses on GAs. According to (Williamson et al 2021), a lack of student consultations on GAs results in graduates' unpreparedness. Furthermore, Wong et al (2022), reciprocate the need for students' involvement in GAs if an 'ideal graduate' is to be shaped.…”

Systematic Literature Review of Employability Skills of Hospitality Graduates after Covid-19 Era

“…In the sports industry, interpersonal skills are seen as important soft skills for students to get a job because studies have shown interpersonal relationships have a significant impact on the services provided to users (Miller et al, 2022), and leadership skills also were referred as highly relevant because as part of a team, they need to know to lead the work and take decisions (Silva et al, 2019). Williamson et al, (2020) relate interpersonal capabilities relate to an individual's capacity to influence or empathize with others. Furthermore, the study that been conducted by Marneros et al, (2021) found in the hotel industry, which is labor-intensive always stressed communication skills as the most important competency dimension.…”

“…Chalupa & Chadt (2021) also emphasized that flexibility, professionalism, empathy, and emotional resilience are equally vital attributes. Williamson et al, (2020) underscored the importance of emotional intelligence for hospitality workers who need to be able to empathize with others effectively in addition to committing. According to Lu et al, (2021), critical abilities comprise effective performance at work along with good ethics and integrity.…”