Levels of readiness and preparedness of selected South African TVET colleges in meeting the requirements of the hospitality industry

Abstract

Skill shortages within the hospitality sector is a major problem. The evaluation was undertaken to establish if the TVET colleges are well equipped to have a meaningful impact on the provision of appropriate skills required by the hospitality industry. The study adopted a mixed method approach as part of the survey design. The inherent structure of the curriculum was benchmarked against the expectations of employers of TVET college graduates. Data was collected through the administration of a survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The survey questionnaire specifically examined available infrastructure at the TVET colleges utilised for hospitality studies, training provided by the academic personnel, curriculum content and employers' expected curriculum outcomes. Seven principals, 14 lecturers and 22 employers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. The key findings of the study revealed that the curriculum on offer placed considerable emphasis on Catering and Hotel Management. Entrepreneurship and Business Management courses are only offered at N5 level and Communication and Human Relations are offered at N6 level, notwithstanding the fact that they are largely regarded as core skills within the hospitality and tourism industry. Students are afforded work integrated learning opportunities on completion of their studies. Employers observed that a large proportion lacked skills. There appears to be sustained reluctance on the part of academic personnel and institutional management to harness funding. There is a critical need for coherent alignment between curriculum content and the needs of the hospitality industry through periodic reviews.