Leading Hotel Schools of the World

The hospitality industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the past decade. Demand for trained manpower in this industry is immense. Star hotels require trained staff for the following departments:
• Food and Beverage (F&B)
• Housekeeping
• Accounting
• Marketing
• Recreation
• Computer Applications
• Financial Management
• Engineering
• Maintenance
• Security
• Fire Fighting
• Public Relations
Being a service industry, having the right attitude is most important. The employees must have an outgoing and pleasant personality, capacity for hard work and a liking for interacting with people. The ability to keep the situation under control during any crisis, discipline, commitment and dedication is a must.
To get a world class education, that provides you with a holistic grooming along with the technical qualifications and successful job prospects, one needs to look no further than the Leading Hotel Schools of the World.
The Leading Hotel Schools of the World is an organization consisting of the world’s top hotel schools and academic institutions with dedicated hotel management programs. Their collective aim is to provide the most advanced and comprehensive educational opportunities available to the hospitality industry.

The Leading Hotel Schools of the World has been created to:
• Bridge the gap between candidates that hotels seek and the conventional curriculum available today.
• Provide luxury hotels with qualified interns and graduates.
• Provide industry managers the opportunity of continuing education to remain competitive.
The Leading Hotel Schools of the World interacts with industry leaders to ensure that the fast-paced and ever-changing hospitality industry is led by first-rate management experts who have a strategic understanding of how to manage their companies and provide quality service to their clients.

The top three hotel schools in the world all constitute a part of LHSW – The Hotelschool The Hague, Laussane and Cornell.

Lausanne Hotel School (École hôtelière de Lausanne, or EHL) is the oldest hotel school in the world. Founded in 1893, EHL offers university-level studies to students who are aiming for top careers in the hospitality industry or in the field of corporate management in general. In Switzerland, it is the only institute of hospitality management of HES ("Haute Ecole Spécialisée", or University of Applied Sciences) level offering advanced programmes which are recognized by the Swiss government. It is also accredited as an Institution of Higher Education by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) in the USA and the Bologna process in Europe. Generally, EHL is accepted industry-wide as the best hotel school in the world, next to the Hotelschool The Hague and Cornell School of Hotel Administration.

The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University is a specialized business school for hospitality management founded in 1922 as the first four-year intercollegiate school devoted to the field. It is one of a few hospitality management schools in the USA that is not part of another academic department, school, or college, though until 1950, it was operated as a department within the New York State College of Home Economics. In 1954, Conrad Hilton, who was closely associated with the school after his company bought the Statler hotel chain, called it "the greatest hotel school in the world."[5] Conrad Hilton later became more closely associated with another school after he founded the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston in 1969.

Founded in 1929, as a state-funded institute, Hotelschool The Hague is now a member of the Leading Hotel Schools of the World, an association developed to provide an array of services designed to meet the demands of today’s hotelier, especially those hoteliers who are affiliated with LHW. Together with Leading Hotels of the World, Niagara University and Hotelschool The Hague have combined their resources in order to develop this association of internationally recognized educational institutions.
“Hotelschool The Hague” is an international university specializing in hospitality management located in The Hague, the Netherlands. The main facility of Hotelschool The Hague lies just outside the city centre of The Hague, close to other International organizations and the Scheveningen beach, the most famous beach in the Netherlands.
Over the years it has become one of the best Hotel Schools in the world, and is recognized as such by the business community as well as by the Dutch government. The World Tourism Organization has placed Hotelschool The Hague on its list of the "best hospitality training centres of the world".
• ’Hotelschool The Hague’’ was founded in 1929 by HORECAF, the former employers’ organization in the hotel and catering sector.
• In 2002, Hotelschool The Hague opened a branch in Amsterdam that offers exactly the same curriculum.
• Since August 2002 Hotelschool The Hague is a member of The Leading Hotel Schools of the World (LHSW).
• In 2004, a comparative research study “Mapping Knowledge” by the Dutch Ministry of Education has shown Hotelschool The Hague to be the best University of Professional Education in the Netherlands.
• In 2006, Hotelschool The Hague was described as one of the best three international centers of hotel management by "Caterer & Hotel keeper"
• Hotelschool The Hague was selected by the Dutch Ministry of Education for an experiment to increase the tuition fees gradually, as the course offered 'a strong focus on the development of the personality, international orientation of staff, students and research field. Students are not only being taught how to be hospitable, but how to run a profitable business too. The added value of the course is founded by the institution's approach: small scaled education with eye for high quality'.
From education to employment, empowerment, and enjoyment, indeed.

Why BBA?

The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree imparts basic management and business skills to students. These skills form the foundation of their management careers. In today’s competitive economy, a BBA course trains effective leaders of tomorrow and entrepreneurs. Students sometimes follow up a BBA degree with an MBA. Most of them choose to join the workforce straight after BBA.

Upon graduation a student with a management degree can take many paths. Many management students find entry-level jobs in the areas of
- banking and financial services
- retail
- health care
- government agencies
- service industries
- not-for-profit organizations
- entrepreneurial ventures

Careers in management allow individuals to choose among many alternatives in a variety of organizational settings.

Many factors go into the beginning salary of new graduate. Among these are work history (including training and internships), geographical preferences, academic record, co-curricular activities, maturity, work ethic, and personality.

Many management students go on to pursue higher studies. For most that means either an M.B.A. or law school, although some continue on for a doctorate and a career in education. As with all degrees in business, the opportunities for a management major are limited only by the student’s energy, determination, learned skills, imagination, and ambition.

If you are sure that you want to pursue a career in management, then BBA is a good alternative, though you can still pursue your MBA after B.Com. However, you can get good work experience after completing your BBA in areas of your interest. If you are planning to start your professional career immediately after class 12, BBA is a good choice as it is a professional course compared to B.Com which is a stream in the general line.

BBA is a professional course and relatively new as compared to B.Com. For a BBA degree though quantitative skills are necessary, yet a student should also be good in communication skills and have strong leadership qualities. The B.Com. course is good for students who love numbers and financial accounting. BBA will clear some fundamental concepts in management and though not a prerequisite for MBA, a course in BBA will help you in the initial stages. For a B.Com. high percentage in 10+2 is required for getting admission in the top colleges. For BBA on an average 50% is required at the 10+2 level. BBA can offer jobs as management trainees in various fields like marketing and sales, finance, HR. A B.Com. degree will offer jobs of accountant, auditor, analysts.

Overall, the BBA degree scores in providing more options for growth whether its for a job, studies, or setting up your own venture.

The course curriculum of a three year B.B.A Course is so designed that it provides the students a basic understanding about Management skills and trains them in effective communication skills. The programme also inculcates entrepreneurship skills in students. With this kind of curriculum, students are better poised to explore various opportunities that they have in management profession. The course covers basic business economics, mathematics, accounting, computer fundamentals, management theory and practice, marketing management, knowledge about the country’s economy, human resource management, financial management, business law, communication skills, personality development etc.

Companies hire BBA graduates in their sales force or as management trainees. This gives direct exposure to the professional world. BBA graduates learn the ropes of the work as they get first-hand experience in a job. Some companies go for campus placements too to hire BBA students. While a BBA can proceed to an MBA immediately after graduation, with some work experience, these students are better positioned to benefit from an MBA programme than others.

There are at least four good reasons why you should invest in a management degree:
1. To Learn the Nuts and Bolts of Business - In the past, entrepreneurs could succeed in business with just guts and intuition. But in this hyper-competitive and fast-changing world, aspiring entrepreneurs need modern business management skills to survive and thrive successfully. For aspiring entrepreneurs, studying for an BBA is the best way to learn the nuts and bolts of business management.

2. To Qualify as a Professional Manager - The BBA degree could open the door to the business world. Now when you look around, everything is a business – even traditional sectors like hospitals and education. As such, a BBA Degree will help you build a business management career and give you a head start against those without the degree.

3. To Prepare for Senior Management Positions - Studying for a BBA is a means to acquire a broader perspective of business issues and of sharpening managerial skills. As such, this will prepare you for taking more responsible management positions. For functional managers, this is the best way to prepare yourselves for a move into general management.

4. To Work Anywhere in the World - The BBA degree prepares professional managers to be able to work anywhere in the world. The focus of the program is on the world’s best practices, necessary to compete successfully everywhere. Also a BBA Degree is a well understood degree in places like USA and Canada, where a B.Com is unheard of.

All the best in choosing a Good BBA Degree for yourself.

Why Hotel Management?

Why Hotel Management?

What is Hospitality Industry?

Before I talk about Hotel Management let me first demystify Hospitality Industry.

The Hospitality industry covers a wide range of organizations offering Food Service & Accommodation. Sectors include Hotels / Resorts, Restaurants, Fast food outlets, Discotheques, Bars & Pubs, Banquet, Meeting & Events venues, Gaming, Entertainment & recreation, tourism services etc.

To get into this profession, apart from a minimum qualification of 3 year Diploma or a Degree after 10+2 from a reputed Institution, having the right attitude is most important. The individual must have an outgoing & pleasant personality, capacity for hard work and a liking for interacting with people. Also should be disciplined, committed & dedicated towards work.

With these essentials, an immediate employability is almost guaranteed.

Industry facts

According to reports published by Tourism Ministry, India needs 150,000 hotel rooms over the next three years, two-thirds of which would be rooms meant for 3-4 star category.

As per the reports by HVS Hospitality Services, there are around 40 International hotels, which are expected to be operational in the country in the next 3 years. These global chains are now entering the full range from 3 stars to 5 star hotels.

US-based MGM Mirage Hospitality, Amari from Thailand, Fairmont Raffles Hotels, Golden Tulip Hotels, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, Corinthia Hotels group from Europe are among the chains that are set to come to India. Then there are Domestic chains like Taj, Oberoi’s, Sarovar group, Lemon tree, Citrus, Keys, The Lalit which have huge expansion plans.

Why Hotel Management?

It is a glamorous profession which has a bright future. With the growth of Hotel industry propelled by foreign & domestic tourism and business travel, the demand for well trained quality personnel too has grown impressively.

To be able to work in Hotel Industry after 10+2, a student must pursue a 3 or 4 year degree in Hotel Management from India or abroad. It is not essential to do a Post graduation in Hotel Management as Job offers at entry level are plenty to choose from.

Those who want to gain experience at an early stage of their career can “Earn while they Learn” by way of ODC’s – Outdoor Catering in 5 Star Hotels after classes from Year 1 itself. Most Institutes send students for 6 months “On the Job Training” exposure in Hotels & Restaurant as part of curriculum for which they earn monthly stipend.

The Hotel Management programs give equal importance to Theory & Practical. While it is important to focus on Theory it is essential to learn its application through Industry exposure during the program.

Career

With increasing globalisation, career opportunities in this field are not only limited within the country but there are chains of hotels which operate internationally providing scope of a career abroad.

The diversity of experience in Hotel management is greater than in any other profession. Hotel industry involves combination of various skills like Management, Food & Beverage service, Food Production, Housekeeping, Front office operation, Sales & Marketing.

As you graduate from a Hotel Management Institute, one can choose Careers in:-

· Hotel & Restaurant management

· Airline Catering & Cabin Services

· Club management

· Cruise Ship Management

· Hospital administration & catering

· Forest Lodges

· Guest Houses

· Institutional Management (supervising canteens in college, schools, in factories, company guest houses etc.)

· Catering departments of railways, banks, armed forces, shipping companies etc.

· Hotel & catering Institutes

· Self employment

Salaries for entry-level employees in 5 star Hotels are at approximately Rs 15,000 a month, but increments could go up to Rs 1 lac in a year for deserving candidates. Apart from the salary, the front line employees also get a share of Gratuity in Cash commonly termed as Tips.

Hotel establishments also offer young employees with incentives, perks and lifestyle benefits free lunches, freebies like complementary stay for the family, picnics and free entries into well-known discotheques.

Those who are passionate about working in Hotels grow vertically from:-

Associate

|

v

Executive

|

v

Line Manager

|

v

Assistant Head of Department

|

v

Head of Department

|

v

General Manager

With burgeoning growth of the Hotel Industry especially in B & C cities in India, one can grow to a position of General Manager in 12 to 14 years in a Mid – size Hotel. As a General Manager the perks are at par offered to any professional in any other Industry. Depending on the policy, some organizations provide Accommodation to the family of the General Manager within the Hotel with all the luxuries of a 5 star.

With 3-4 years of work experience, a lot of Chefs with expertise in Indian cuisine get Job offers from UK, Canada, Australia & Middle East. There are also a lot of opportunities available on International Cruise liner in F&B service as well as Kitchen. While on Cruise ship, one not only gets opportunity to Travel the world while in the Job but also save a decent amount of money as well.

While working in 5 star Hotels the job is alluring as you get to see Celebrities, Head of States while they stay at your Hotel on a vacation or on business appointment or attending to a Banquet like Wedding, Conference or Product launch.

You also get to interact with people from different Nationalities across the Globe & learn about their culture, eating habits & background. Such a chance is rare to find in any other profession.

Other Service Industries like BPO & Airlines also hire Hotel Management professionals at lucrative salaries. Basically, an education in Hotel Management inculcates in the students a very strong service orientation, which is highly valued by practically all employers in the service industry.

Place of English in Today's Education

With the advent of Globalization leading to India’s integration with the world economy, English as a language of international communication has become more important than ever before. The Sanskrit lovers of our ancient heritage may not appreciate the scenario, but it is the stark reality. It is obviously agreed that other Indian languages are beautiful and unique in their own right; however, English has emerged as the most prominent tool of global communication in today's cut throat competitive world. According to noted educationist Bhalchandra Mungekar, "Jobs create vertical and horizontal social mobility. With English comes important new skills and thus, the system is fast becoming achievement-oriented."

What does the emergence of English mean for education -especially education aimed at employment? The answer is that students need to be adept in the language to survive and prosper. For students from the middle and lower classes, English is of ever increasing importance, and promises to be an equaliser of sorts. “If some people have to join the process of modernity, they have to learn the tricks of the trade. English is one of them," says Vivek Kumar, a prominent faculty member in JNU.

One look at the statistics will leave you stunned. With a literacy rate of 66%, at least half of that number encounters grave problems while grappling for jobs, for the singular deficiency of being incompetent in the knowledge of the English language.

For example, a majority of F&B (food and beverage) outlets, a sector that employ large numbers of young people, insist that employees speak to customers in fluent and correct English. According to Manpreet Gulri, development agent for Subway, a popular fast food chain "If an employee speaks good English he/she can communicate far better with our customers. We are an international brand, and our customers come from cross-sections of society. Communicating in English becomes necessary." This unfortunate fact is not very well recognized by Indian Universities. Only a few such as Osmania University (recently ranked No. 10 in India by esteemed publication India Today) have taken innovative measures to include English in their curriculum. Their Vice Chancellor Professor Rao has been instrumental in introducing the basics of the language into the syllabus of most courses.

Looking at it from a student's perspective, it behoves the students to recognize that a working knowledge of English is critical in today's job environment. Students should make it an individual goal to learn English. While the Veta's and Inlingua's of the world exist, they end up being mostly ineffective, and certainly not contextual. Also, unfortunately, a language cannot be learnt in a day or even a few months. The best way is to seek programs where English is baked into the product. Such products are rare in the current scenario, but seem to be steadily growing. Apart from Osmania University, there are some work sectors that provide English language training as well.

For example, Vipul Gupta, executive director at The Metropolitan Hotel in New Delhi, says, "The management conducts regular English classes for employees whose communications skills are weak. English is the most used language in the Indian hospitality sector. Therefore, applicants with a sound knowledge of the language stand a better chance of being selected."

Career counsellor Usha Albuquerque explains the importance of being able to communicate in English in both personal and professional spheres. "English," she says, "is the language of the work-force. Anyone who wants to express himself/herself at a national or international level has to be well-versed in the language. Practically every job that requires written and verbal skills will demand knowledge of English. Moreover, in a culturally diverse subcontinent like ours, where every state and region has its own regional language, communicating in a powerful common language like English becomes imperative."

A Pragmatic Solution to India's Education Problem

The education problem of India has many facets, and all cannot be efectively covered in a short article so I am attempting to ofer a big picture perspective here.

The following statistics (for 2008) tell a story:

K-12 enrolment: 37% (132M of the 361M school age children

currently enrolled)

Tertiary education Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): 11% (21%

in BRIC countries)

Employability of Graduates: 20 % (80 % considered unft for

the workplace)

The benefts of having an educated and skilled population are obvious – not only will it help India’s own development; it will also allow India to beneft from its much younger Demographic profle relative to the world. This need seems to have been understood by the government of India and it has set itself the goal of achieving a GER of 15% by 2012. The focus of this article is not on the intent, but the path chosen by the government to achieve this goal.

The National Knowledge Commission was appointed by the Prime Minister of India, specifcally to propose a solution to this problem. The commission, led by Mr. Sam Pitroda, has suggested, in summary, that the government spend a lot more money to create numerous new institutions, improve the current institutions, and fundamentally change regulation and governance. While the NKC has made some excellent recommendations, it seems uncomfortable with the idea of for-proft education in any segment.

In its report the NKC acknowledges that of the 1700 management schools in India (as of 2007), more than 1000 came into being after 2000, as a result of “entrepreneurial initiative”. Strangely, every single one of these “entrepreneurial” entities is set up as a non-proft.

Broadly in line with the NKC recommendations, the government has announced that it will spend INR 850B (Approx. USD 17 B) in 2007 - 2012 to achieve this goal - 5 times the amount for the previous 5 year period. This money will be spent on new institutions including 30 central universities, 8 IITs, 10 National Institutes of Technology (NIT), 20 Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIITs), three Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) seven Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and two Schools of Planning and Architecture(SPA)

“Allowing private enterprise to participate aggressively and openly improves quality, often drops prices, and addresses different segments more effectively thus improving penetration (read enrolment).”

In simple words, the Government plans to do it all largely on its own, with its own money, and by deploying its own manpower. Private participation is expected to be in non-proft / PPP models, essentially of a “non-commercial” nature. Unfortunately, the government’s track record has been quite dismal when it comes to operating educational institutions. Most of the Higher Education system of India is in a shambles, with the IITs and IIMs being visible because they are exceptions, and even these are often embroiled in political controversy.

This is a critical point of time for India, and the decisions taken now will set India up for its success or failure in this century. It is important that the government face the realities of its own abilities, and also look

globally to see how similar challenges have been met elsewhere. Also, I believe we need to fnally get rid of our “License Raj” hang-ups about education being on a higher moral plane, and therefore necessarily non-proft.

The underlying philosophy when thinking about the education industry needs to be not too different from any other industry. The government needs to create strong regulatory bodies. Then the force of private enterprise should be unleashed to address this problem. Over almost 20 years of liberalization, we have repeatedly heard how “this industry is diferent” – be it power or healthcare, and have eventually agreed that it actually was not that diferent, and that allowing private enterprise to participate aggressively and openly improves quality, often drops prices, and addresses diferent segments more efectively thus improving penetration (read enrolment).

Sure, in countries such as the UK and the US, while they do have a strong private sector in education but that was not the force behind increases in the GER. That is because they had the one luxury India does not have – time. To illustrate my point, I would like to quote the example of Brazil – a good example also because it is certainly comparable to India. Brazil also needed to see drastic increases in its GER, but it was practically static from 1991 – 1996. However, enrolments went from 1.9 Million in 1997 to 4.7 million by 2006 – a 150% increase in 10 years. What Brazil did was simply the following:

1. Create a transparent, but rigorous regulatory system. (Similar to the IRAHE proposed by the NKC). The focus was on the academic standards and the learning, not on structural aspects.

2. Encourage private participation in higher-education. They were open to people making a proft, as long as they deliver quality and meet the regulatory norms.

3. Create incentives for the private players to focus on the social and developmental needs of the country as well. For example, in 2004 Brazil ofered a tax break to the private institutions which set aside 10-20 % of their spots for low income students, provided scholarships etc.

I think the simplicity, elegance, and efectiveness of the Brazilian system is something India should learn from.

The government reduces its role instead of increasing it. The money saved in this manner can be utilized to channel and guide the entrepreneurial forces in the right direction (such as funding the tax cuts mentioned in point 3 above), and on creating a strong , transparent and independent regulatory framework. Most importantly, it legitimizes the role of private players, so that the stronger, cleaner and more professional players also participate.

I do not for a moment propose that pure capitalism will lead to equitable growth in such a sector, and believe that the government has an important role to play – especially in the K-12 segment. However, the government needs to choose its battles, and use the private sector as a useful force in its plan for the future. That will unleash vast amounts of capital, intellect, and create the kind of capacity required, and will do so efciently. With the current system, the government not only prevents open private participation, but also attracts private money and intent of the worst kind. With a few exceptions such as the Tata institutions, most private players in India blatantly make money while claiming to be charitable institutions. The education sector is the biggest spender in the print media in the country today. Full page ads for “charitable institutions” scream across the newspapers and all this communication is delivered to the doorsteps of the powers that be every day, and yet we seem to be comfortable in our delusion of education in India actually being non-proft.

I think it is time to take a close look at the facts on the ground as they are today, for the government to recognize its own strengths and weaknesses, and also to realize the power of entrepreneurship. In the telecom sector India added 15 million new subscribers in January 2009. Such numbers are possible because the government allowed private participation while regulating the industry closely. If we could do a fraction of that number in higher education, it will change India’s future.

“How to choose the correct vocational Course”

“Identifying the right course” starts with determining the fit between you as the student, and the right course from all the options available in the marketplace.

For this, the starting point is to understand who you are, and what are your interests and motives behind pursuing further education. You need to think about your interests e.g. do you like field work / meeting people / group activities? Or do you prefer working solo, and are more of an introvert? Do you have special interests such as, say, writing or cooking ?

Next is the goal of doing the course. Vocational by its very definition means “of, pertaining to, or connected with a vocation or occupation”. Broadly, it can include a very wide variety of courses including fields like accounting, Hotel management, aviation, travel and tourism, hardware technology, animation and IT etc. But for you is it for getting your first job, or pursuing a hobby, or adding a new skill to change your current line? Do you have time constraints – maybe you are currently working? Also, what is your budget, and how much time do you want to invest in the education (6 months? 3 years?).

Once you have a clear articulation of your own interests and goals, it is time to hit the market. Research the market – visit institutes, gather information in the form of brochures and prospectuses, talk to students and ex-students at various institutes and colleges, and check out their offerings on the web. As you educate yourself on the options, you will also get a good understanding of the area which you are interested in, and also you may have a shortlist of the courses you would like to pursue.

For example, lets say you have narrowed down to two areas : aviation / hotel management (a.k.a Hospitality). You can then go out and gather information on the various aviation courses. Firstly understand the options within aviation – there are ground staff courses, and also in-flight courses. Understand the various institutes which offer such courses e.g. AHA, Frankfinn, Kingfisher academy etc. Do a reality check on where the students who complete these courses get placed e.g. less than 5 % of the students of in-flight courses get into that line of work. Most others go into other service oriented jobs.

Similarly, for hospitality visit various Hotel Management schools such as the Pusa Institute, UEI Global and others to understand their offerings in the vocational space. Vocational courses can be both diploma’s and degrees. Also in hospitality, would you want to learn to be a chef, or a manager? What other specialities exist? Based on your time-frame understand the various products on offer, and try and get an understanding of the value of the course in the marketplace. Also understand how the institute plans to prepare you for the job market. Do they provide any interview guarantees? Do they equip you in any way (besides the vocational skill itself) to succeed in such interviews? Maybe teach English or personality development? If the eventual goal is to succeed in getting a career, these aspects can make a big difference.

In essence, be sure you know yourself well, and identify a course not just based on the latest fad or “hot” field, but also keeping in mind your needs and goals. And research the options in the market well before picking one. All the best !