In-depth Hospitality and Life Skills Training that guarantees the Girl Child 3Es (Education, Employment and Economic independence)
Institution: Wavecrest College of Hospitality
In the world today, the exponential growth rate of graduate unemployment has become a serious cause for anxiety. It is a challenge that most economies are facing under the current economic circumstances (Oppong & Sachs, 2015). Some very well-known causes of unemployment in Nigeria include an excessive supply of university graduates as compared with available job opportunities, insufficient hands-on and practical training to match job requirements and a non-existent curriculum for training in Life Skills which is of utmost importance for survival and thriving in the work environment. For over 40 years, Wavecrest College of Hospitality has been addressing the problem of unemployment through Hospitality Skills Training.
The challenges of unemployment and underemployment in Africa and Nigeria in particular is one of the crucial development challenges facing the economy - to curb the malady we need to invest in holistic technical/vocational and life skills training - because this a powerful weapon to alleviate poverty
The College uses the following five key building blocks to ensure balanced development process.
1. Holistic Curriculum
The college makes provision for a combined study and work programme. Emphasis is placed on aspects of hygiene, health, and safety, maintenance culture, punctuality, business planning, entrepreneurship, communication, and ethics at work during the training. All of this is taught from the perspective of equipping students with life skills.
2. Instilling core values
Core values are an essential part of the curriculum- reflected in the acronym TRIPS! (Teamwork, Respect for others, Integrity, Personal responsibility and Spirit of Service). A personalized approach through mentoring and academic advice is also integrated to enhance personal and professional development. Each student is allocated a personal mentor who is a member of staff that has particularly imbibed the culture of the College.
3. Compulsory Internships
Each year, the students are placed on mandatory internship where they are exposed to the world of professional work and further training in Hospitality skills. The college has built a network of high standard organizations in the Hospitality Industry, and regular meetings are held with the students to discuss issues in their work placement. A follow-up with the industry supervisor is also done for any challenges encountered during training
4. Industry Forum and Hospital Advisory Board
Every year, the college seeks feedback from industry partners who contributed to the practical work experience training of students. The purpose of this is to continually realign and improve the curriculum and training to match industry needs. The college took a step further by creating the “Hospitality Advisory Boar,” which links the institution with the real world of hospitality.
5. Practical workshops
Students carry out daily practical workshops in housekeeping and facility management. Awareness of a green environment and the culture of maintenance is encouraged among the students.
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More than 2000 students have graduated in the span of 3 years (mid 2017-2019)
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500 industry partners
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80% of Wavecrest College graduates are gainfully employed in Hospitality organisations in Nigeria and other countries
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20% have become entrepreneurs managing their businesses which comprise of catering services, events planning, confectionery, and cake making with their staff
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To date, the College is unable to meet the increasing demand for graduates
Success Factors/Enablers
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A dedicated Management Team trained in Hospitality and Tourism Management and allied courses.
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Establish links with leading Hospitality organisations to provide quality internship and up to date curriculum.
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Adequate and well-maintained learning resource facilities for training our students and preparing them for the workplace.
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The mentoring system encourages them to appreciate the importance of work, ethics, and human values.
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The inclusion of the life skills courses has provided better preparation of our students to the world of work.
Challenges
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Insufficient funding that diverts the attention of management from leading the school to raising funds.
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Most of the companies where students go for their apprenticeship do not have suitable learning environments for their real practice especially the locally owned hotels or restaurants, for example, Equipment, tools, and organisation are sub-standard; Employees are not well trained; Students are intimidated when they suggest adherence to industry standards and students come back from their industrial training disillusioned and frustrated.
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Low enrolment most students prefer to earn a degree (university education)
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As our target are the urban poor – the fees we are charging are still costly for them. (Hospitality courses have laboratory/practical activities – the materials, equipment, and tools are expensive)
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The full-time fees of the students cover only 10% of the operating cost of the College, to address this challenge, other ancillary services were created to make up for the remaining operating expenses (E.g., Outdoor Catering Services)
Moving Forward
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Increase publicity and infrastructure capacity
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The hotel school also aims to offer higher academic and professional qualifications through partnerships with international schools.