Developing students' employability and work readiness within tourism and hotel management

Abstract

Today’s business environments are continually changing, and as organisations change, so do the requirements of their workforce. Evolving workforces represent a challenge for universities to ensure students’ learning outcomes remain relevant. A further concern for universities and students is the increasing competition for graduate positions. These factors are placing additional pressure on universities to deliver work-ready graduates with the necessary capabilities to meet current industry demands. The course Career Development is a recently established course that aims to support students’ professional and career development and facilitate a successful transition from university to work. An evaluation of this course was undertaken to determine its effectiveness in developing students’ employability and to also assess the contribution of three different experiential learning opportunities offered within the course.