Preparing hospitality sector students to stay ahead

Students at the world's best hospitality schools have high expectations. And rightly so, they hold ambitions to be leaders, entrepreneurs and change agents, and they expect those same schools to help deliver that future. It is our responsibility as education leaders to ensure we equip our students with the expertise and ability to elevate them above the competition and enable them to achieve these lofty goals.

At the highest level in hospitality, employers, too, have considerable expectations. They seek enthusiastic and agile graduates who are able to make an impact from day one and uphold the standards of excellence that are intrinsically linked to their brand. In addition to academic knowledge, the world's top hospitality employers want problem solving and solution delivering capabilities, as well as proven experience in real-world working environments.

Transformative curriculums

It is the demand of the multiple stakeholders the schools serve, an enduring commitment to teaching excellence in hospitality and luxury business, that combine to necessitate an unrivaled learning experience. One that prepares students to excel in the most demanding roles, right from graduation day.

Equipping students to bring more to the table as an employee, and empowering them to feel a confidence to deliver excellence and drive change, begins with all-encompassing curriculums. Any premier hospitality school wanting to prepare its students for rewarding future careers, should look to combine academic rigor, experiential learning and real-world exposure across undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

Dress for success

Developing a leader's mindset, confidence and outlook is an invaluable asset to draw on in both covering letters and interviews when applying for dream jobs. A key part of this is the curriculum, as mentioned, but there's also a standard of excellence that students should be expected to keep throughout their studies.

By adhering to strict campus dress codes, students begin to feel like professionals, they acquire structure, understand methodology and set new elevated standards for themselves that help build the desire to succeed in their studies, and in their career.

Understanding the power of a handshake and the importance of networking with top industry leaders, students are able to forge life-long relationships in the hospitality at an international level.

Experiential learning

By immersing students in simulated working environments on campus, complete with the correct uniform and role expectations, they are hardened, but also able to revel in the joy of their industry alongside like-minded peers.

Moreover, this experiential environment is a safe place to learn, make mistakes, and experiment, truly indulging in one's passion with the aim of perfecting it.

Real-world exposure

The final piece of the jigsaw in preparing hospitality and luxury students to rise above the competition is experience of working in the real world. Internships are crucial to both ground students' learning in reality and give them an opportunity to apply it. More than this, they enable students to sample roles of their choice, sometimes in various departments, and use the experience to form their future career pathway. Finally, and crucially, international internships are an incredible asset on one's CV.

When structured correctly, the outcome of internships, field trips and projects, in addition to work that the student can be proud of, is advanced teamwork and leadership skills, which will serve them well as they enter the working world, worldwide.

(The author is the Head of Career Services at Les Roches Global Hospitality Education discusses how academic excellence, experiential learning and real-world exposure combine to create hospitality professionals that are in-demand, right from graduation day)