Education in the field of Hotel Industry brings various opportunity for students. One of the main benefits of pursuing hotel management education is that the students are placed not only in hotel industry but are in demand in various other service industries,” said Dr Praveen Srivastava, Head of Department of Hotel Management and Catering Technology at BIT Mesra.
As the customer understanding is much better in hotel management graduates, they are given preference over other candidates in sectors like banking, hospitals, airline, BPO and others, he added.
“It also provides an opportunity to start their own venture and become an entrepreneur and give job to others. A recent trend of Event Management is also gaining popularity and hence HM Graduate can set up their (own) event management companies and organise various events to earn and serve,” said Srivastava.
Elaborating the prospectives Srivastava said, the word Hotel has been defined by many as a home away from home. No doubt hearing this word enthralls the feeling of excitement, but to operate 24 hour hotel service, one need to have a professional understanding of the in and out of this industry.
“A professional degree nowadays is the need of the hour to step into hotel industry. The journey of education in this unique field started in the year 1954 when Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (popularly known as IHMCTAN) was founded by All India Women’s Central Food council under the leadership of late lilavati Munshi,” he said.
With the growth and development of hospitality, industry in India Hotel Management and Catering Technology Program has gained tremendous popularity and of course, the profile of students seeking admission to this course has undergone a tremendous change.
The course allow student to recognize four core area in hotel industry and a compulsory internship (Industrial Training) of six month helps student to work in industry during their study period. This gives them an opportunity to create harmony between their theoretical knowledge and practical exposure and in turn they finalize the department of their choice where they can make their career. These four core area of hotel industry are- Food Production, Food and Beverage Service, Front Office and Accommodation Operation, he said.
The housekeeping department is the backbone of the hotel industry. This department is responsible for the cleanliness and hygiene of the hotel. Making the room ready for sale is one of the prime responsibilities of this department. Its other responsibilities include cleaning of public area, rooms, bathrooms, upkeep of uniform, lost and found items, flower arrangement including others, Srivastava said.
The Hotel Management courses are also conducted at BIT Mesra, where 4 Years Degree is given to students. The admission is open and students have to appear in UGAT conducted by AIMA, he said.