Stressing The Practical Side of Training Hospitality Students Through Internships

Abstract

During my years of working within the confines of the private country club world, one educational issue is clear in my mind and needs to be addressed. It has been my observation, that, many hospitality students in the United States discover too late that they were not suited to a career in the hospitality field because they were improperly guided by instructors as to the realities they will encounter in this profession. In considering a career in hospitality management one must first remember it is seldom glamorous. It is not at all like the popular television show “Hotel.” One must combine theoretical textbook knowledge and an equal amount of time working within the everyday structure of a properly-run establishment, be it a private country club, hotel or a fine restaurant. Then and only then can one truly assess if he or she is heading in the right direction. It is time for us in the United States to follow the practices that are so successful all over Europe. There greater emphasis is placed on job training for all students taking courses in the hospitality field, regardless of how high their goals are. The approach fosters the idea of dividing each semester equally between the classroom and a working establishment. By using this method, we give students the opportunity to see the good and bad aspects of the profession and also give them the chance to decide early, perhaps within the first year, if this is the type of career they really want to pursue. The practice has been observed at some of the U.S. post-secondary hospitality programs to provide students with a theoretical orientation and then send them out into the work force with the illusion that they are totally capable of earning and demanding high salaries. Hospitality employers today are seeking students with a combination of theoretical and “quality” practical training which provides a basis of knowledge on which the employing company can build.

Only the internship experience can teach a student how to cultivate the wonderful gifts of communication, tolerance and interpersonal skills.

While textbook knowledge is of the utmost importance, it must be coupled with on-the-job training to provide the student with a suitable entre to a career in hospitality, one which will hopefully be both stimulating and rewarding. The key to fulfilling this goal is through the use of a supervised, professional internship experience for students in post-secondary hospitality programs. Only this type vehicle affords them the best opportunity of applying the theory learned in the classroom to the practical working environment.