Monday, December 5, 2011

Hospitality Administration Continues to Expand and Seek Trained Professionals

Did you know the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council forecasts that between 2006 and 2015, 290,690 new jobs within the tourism industry will have been created? In addition, revenues from this sector are in excess of $61.4 billion from 60,000 different companies that employ more than 1.66 million Canadians. As a result, those with hospitality administration and tourism administration training are in high demand. These professionals fill positions such as hotel and restaurant general management, human resources management, sales and marketing management, convention services coordination and tour coordination. Depending on their area of interest, students of Centennial College’s Hospitality and Tourism Administration can obtain these positions after three years of training and an Ontario College Advanced Diploma.

“At Centennial College, I was taught the ins and outs of the hospitality industry and was able to gain valuable experience through practical studies as well as a great deal of knowledge,” says Brittany Skene who graduated in June 2008. Meanwhile, Mary Sardella, Director of Human Resources for the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, and 1988 Centennial College Hospitality graduate says of the program, “Centennial’s applied program prepares students for the real working world. We look forward to continue fostering our relationship with the hospitality school and the students.”

Courses in the Hospitality Administration program cover a full range of business practices in marketing, human resources, finance and industry operations — as applied to the entire hospitality and tourism field. Specific courses within the program include: Hospitality and Tourism Marketing (students define marketing, distinguish between product and services marketing and demonstrate an understanding of consumer behaviour, market segmentation, the marketing mix and their application to the marketing plan); Ontario Cultural & Heritage Tourism Product (course examines the role of heritage and culture in the creation of Ontario as a tourism destination by investigating how the geographic makeup of the province influenced its historical development, the consequence of which has contributed to engaging tourism experiences); and many others. To supplement in-class learning, the College houses a full service hospitality management centre, an onsite conference centre and state-of-the-art computer labs.

In addition, Tourism Administration students participate in an internship, which provides meaningful work experience in approved jobs within the hospitality and tourism industry, enabling students to relate classroom theory to the practical world, while adding another career educational dimension to their career preparation. Field placement enables students to better understand the dynamics of the industry, increase their knowledge of industry practices and provides a competitive advantage of experience in the job market.

Centennial’s three-year tourism administration program admits students at three points throughout the year. To apply, students must present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. They must also possess compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent.

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