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With the hospitality sector bouncing back, India is expected to add about 15,600 hotel
rooms in 2010. And by 2011, 40 new international hotel brands will be operational in India. Add to this, close to 415 projects are under various stages of development and 41 per cent of these projects may start adding to the existing inventory from 2010.
This will serve as a huge opportunity for all the aspirants looking at this sector for professional development and growth as the sector is expected to recruit about 32,000 people.
Also, business travel is back on track, helping this sector sustain its momentum. This sector is likely to generate the second largest number of jobs in the country in the coming days. Market experts expect increased investment in this sector, which should, in turn, further result in new jobs.
“Now, it’s not only the hotel industry that offers hospitality jobs to hotel management students. Fast food chains, stand alone restaurants, corporate hospitals, airlines, spas, malls — all have a demand for hotel management graduates. In fact, in India, there is a demand-supply gap of about 4 lakh employees in the job market for the hospitality industry,” says Kamal Karanth, managing director, Kelly Services India.
The specifics
All graduation courses are open to candidates who are 10+2 pass, with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks. Aptitude for the hospitality/ service industry, as demonstrated through a personal interview, is usually checked.
Written and spoken fluency in English is mandatory and candidates may be asked to take a written entrance test. Presidency College of Hotel Management, promoted by Royal Orchid Hotels, offers a 3 year Bachelor of Arts International Hospitality Administration (BA - IHA) course through the Indira Gandhi National Open University and the Educational Institute of American Hotel and Lodging Association (EI-AHLA).
Students undergo industrial training along with their academics. A two-year Diploma in Hospitality Management course is also offered through EI-AHLA. Students who have passed 10th or equivalent from a recognised board are eligible for the course. This apart, one year specialisation courses offered include food production principles, food and beverage management and rooms division management.
Four months’ skill courses including food and beverage service, housekeeping management and front office procedures are also available. NRI Institute’s BHM progr-amme puts students through a comprehensive and intensive set of courses spread over four years. Industrial exposure happens through project work, on-the-job training and other programmes.
During the seventh semester, students undergo an intensive six-month on-the-job training in all operational and ancillary departments of a star hotel.
Sikkim Manipal University-Distance Education also offers a 3 year Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Catering Management - BSC (HCM) at Rs 17,750 per semester. ITM Institute of Hotel Management offers Bachelor in International Hospitality Management, a 3 year full-time international degree programme through Queen Margaret University, Bachelor in Catering Science and Hotel Management, a 3 year full-time UGC-approved degree programme through Bharathiar University, a one-year Diploma in Catering Science and Hotel Man-agement, a full-time UGC approved programme through Bharathiar University.
If food is your calling and you have limited time, check out the courses at the Institute of Baking & Cake Art in Bangalore. The 14-week Diploma in Baking Confectionery & Cake Art provides in-depth knowledge of all four classifications related to baking, such as breads, pastries, cookies and cakes and costs Rs 60,000. There are several other courses for durations ranging from 1 day to 6 weeks, with fees ranging from Rs 1,250 to Rs 30,000.
“In the last 10 years, we have trained more than 5,600 candidates in the institute. The Institute of Baking & Cake Art is a one-of-its-kind training school offering many different programmes in baking and confectionery and cake art is our exclusivity,” says Manish Gaur, director (training), Institute of Baking & Cake Art. A BA in culinary arts is offered by the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, a constituent college of Manipal University.
Career options
The ever-changing business models of hospitality and tourism sector have encou-raged seamless job oppor-tunities in related areas.
Lucrative employment on-board cruise liners, airlines, catering institutions, retail-cum-malls and multiplexes, medical institutions and wellness centres are abundant. However, there is an increasing demand for entrepreneurship, food journalism, food critique, food publishing, consultancy and food research.
Currently, students get opportunities in airlines, shipping and other hospitality related industries as well as in roles such as management/ hotel operation trainee, guest/ customer/ public relations executive, catering executive/ chef, executive in cruise lines and shipping companies and as cabin crew/ airhostess/ steward/ purser, among several others.
“Our participants have generally started their own set-ups while some of them have been well placed in baking and allied industries. We have also attracted many second and third generation bakers who are changing the ways of product making and prese-ntation in their home cities. Also, there is a huge requi-rement for people with bakery knowledge to work on product development and manag-ement, research and marketing in retail chains, franchise bakeries and cruise lines,” says Gaur.
Demand on the rise
Of late, the number of students aspiring to take on careers as chefs is on the rise. “Chefs’ professional competences are unique and graduates in culinary arts have a very good earning potential. The programme is open to graduates from any discipline. Across the country, the popul-arity of courses in culinary arts is increasing by the day due to the immense employment opportunities available and the attractive pay structure.
“Professional chefs can explore many corporate domains and international visibility through careful career planning,” says Parvadha Vardhini Gopalakrishnan, principal, Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration.
Adds Yogesh Bansal, founder and CEO, ApnaC-ircle.com, “Those who are looking at a career in the hospitality industry should be active on career networking sites as these sites provide a huge amount of user generated content, especially advice from industry experts, which will help aspirants plan their career better.
In addition, networking sites also take your profile beyond the boundaries of your specific geography and connect you with opportunities across the world.”
Remuneration
Popular Industries Annual Salary Range
Hotels Rs 3,80,793 - Rs 1,143,204
Restaurants Rs 3,46,699 - Rs 1,023,332
Food Service Rs 3,60,922 - Rs 1,072,628
Bar /Restaurant /Nightclub Rs 3,46,699 - Rs 1,023,332
Catering Rs 3,12,125 - Rs 8,21,872