An industry catering well
Chitleen K Sethi

Indians who have traditionally been good hosts are all set to monopolise the hospitality and hotel industry in the world. One of the fastest growing industries internationally, it is second in India in terms of foreign exchange inflow.

Generating a job a minute, it is the world's largest service industry, providing employment to almost 14 per cent of the world's population. A hospitality professional can work in big international and Indian hotels, restaurants, cruise liners, airline companies, multinational companies and also the corporate sector. The demand of trained professionals is mounting, providing enormous job opportunities.

It is for all to see that while the region has been witness to a boom of hotels and restaurants, a large number of colleges and institutes, too, have mushroomed offering all sorts of courses, claiming to equip students for jobs in the industry. There are degrees, diplomas and certificate courses which can be done both regularly and through distance education.

A class XII in any stream is the minimum qualification for most of the bachelor courses, and a bachelors in related field is required for masters in certain specialised fields in the industry.

Choosing the right institute

While some institutes offer degrees and diplomas recognised by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) or the National Council of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, there are also many fly-by-night operators who offer quickie courses, training student in some cooking and front- office etiquette and grant a certificate which in the end is worth nothing. The maximum that such passouts manage are small-time jobs in local restaurants even after they have spent large amounts in getting themselves trained. Choosing an institute can certainly be difficult but the key is to do a course which is recognised and from an institute which has had a good placement record.

Among the government institutes, passouts of the Dr Ambedkar Institute of Hotel Management Catering and Nutrition, Sector 42, Chandigarh, have landed some of the most-coveted jobs in the industry. As many as 115 students of this institute have been selected for various positions in different prestigious hotels. Four students of the institute have been selected by Inter Continental The Grand New Delhi, and another two for The Grand New Delhi. One student has been selected by the ITC welcome Group and other three have found jobs in Taj New Delhi. Thirteen students have found a job at The Cecil Shimla, while 10 students would be working for Jet Airways.

The institute conducts a three-year B.Sc. in Hospitality and Hotel Administration. The intake each year is about 150 students from all over the country. Students are selected on the basis of a Joint Entrance Test, conducted by the National Council for Hotel Management, New Delhi. The institute also runs a postgraduate diploma in Accommodation Operations and Management and two six-month certificate courses in 'Rooms Management' and 'Stewarding'.

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) offers B.Sc. Hospitality and Hotel Administration for holders of Diploma in Hotel Management from the National Council of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT). The programme duration is of 18 months.

The Chandigarh Administration's Food Craft Institute in Sector 42 trains students ready to enter the hotel, restaurant and food products industry. It offers five training streams: Front Office, Food and Beverage Service, Cookery, Bakery and Confectionery and Housekeeping. Each section has its "set" — rooms, lobbies, kitchens and dining rooms set up just as one would find them in a real on-the-job situation. At the end of their course, all students are sent for training to leading hotel chains, catering establishments or shipping companies. Apart from full-time professional courses, the institute offers part-time courses for housewives, refresher courses for industry personnel and short-term professional courses in Food and Beverage Service and Kitchen.

Private colleges

Other than government institutes, some private engineering colleges in the region have also ventured into these courses. The students, however should be careful in selecting the institute, satisfying themselves with not only the infrastructure and training modules but also find out if the course being offered is recognised by a government agency.

The Chandigarh College of Hotel Management and Catering Technology at Landran, Mohali, is offering a four-year degree course in Bachelor of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (60 seats) and a three-year degree course in B.Sc Airlines, Tourism and Hospitality Management (40 seats). The college is affiliated to Punjab Technical University Jalandhar (PTU), and these courses are approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Even as the first batches of these courses pass out next year, the college also intends to tie up with some top hotels for placements.

The Desh Bhagat Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Mandi Gobindgarh, is also affiliated to Punjab Technical University and offers the same two degrees also approved by the All India Council of Technical Education. The institute offers a four-year degree in Hotel Management and Catering Technology (60 seats) and a three- year degree in B.Sc Airlines, Tourism and Hospitality (40 seats).

As part of the PTU Distance Education programme, the institute offers lateral entry under-graduate and post-graduate diplomas in Hotel Management and Catering Technology and an MSc in Hotel Management and Catering Technology. The college also offers some other diplomas and degrees in hotel management and tourism, but these courses are approved needs to be crosschecked. The institute's placement cell works in coordination with the industry. Students got industrial training in five-star hotels like Taj View, Nikko Metropoliton, Le Meriden, Tavoli Garden Resort, Oberoi, Ashoka and Radisson etc.

The Chitkara School of Hospitality affiliated to the PTU offers a three- year bachelors degree in Hospitality (80 seats) aiming to meet the industry's need for competent hospitality managers. Students are given ample opportunities to work with leading restaurants and hotels of Chandigarh to earn by working in conferences/banquets/seminars. According to the Institute, the course does not require an approval from the AICTE but the degree is given by the PTU.