Schooling them to take up culinary courses

India, known for its tradition of atithi devo bhava is expected to turn into a hub of international hotel chains and food and beverage outlets in the near future.

Keeping this in mind and the present scenario of acute shortage of trained professionals in the industry, the CBSE has intro­d­­uced two new vocational packages under hospitality and tourism sector – food production and food & beverage services at school level. Are the students welcoming the change or taking it as a burden to become restricted to the service class of the industry? Metrolife finds out.

Some students feel that the move will confuse students more when it comes to a career choice. “Rohit Anand, a student of Std XII says, “What is important in high school is basic knowledge which should be provided to every student rather than diversifying streams to the maximum possible level.

“It is already difficult for  teenager to decide between Science, Commerce and Humanities, so adding professional courses to the list will add to the confusion and subsequently stress levels. Also, the courses guarantee employment after +2 so won’t these lower percentage of students taking up higher education?”

Point to be noted, for graduation and post-graduation qualifications are given immense importance during employment procedures.

A section of students feels that introduction of such cou­r­ses shall simplify their future planning. Kriti Sharma, a student of Std XI is elated about them, “We would like to opt for the new courses. A lot of my friends want to enter the F&B sector and I believe the more focused they are from the beginning, the better it is for their future. They will save some crucial years of their career and gain practical experience rather than attending lectures in classrooms. It is good to get such professional course choices in school and just in case anyone plans to change their mind later on, then nobody is denied from appearing for common entrance exams after completing XII.”

The counsellors are of a similar opinion for it is estimated by the Planning Commission that in the coming years, there will be a shortage of around 57 million workforce globally whereas India will have a surplus of workforce.

Ravindra Singh, vice president and head of vocational training at Aspire Human Capital says, “Food and Beverage is a hugely growing sector, both within the country and abroad. Its introduction at school level doesn't require many communication skills in comparison to the opportunities which it offers. This will enable students to have sufficient knowledge and skill to become small entrepreneurs. For growth, one has to factor in development of soft skills because they will be an intersection point of communicating directly with customers. The latter can be achieved through certificate level programmes or diplomas.”

Thus the introduction of these courses goes in favour of students who will pass out the school to become a part of the huge Indian workforce!