GET THE SKILLS TO MEET INDUSTRY DEMAND WHEN TOURISM RESUMES
Start hospitality and tourism programs now and you’ll be ready to fill the talent gaps when travel is possible again
From industry consultations to staying on top of anticipated post-COVID-19 recovery strategies, Humber College is ensuring its hospitality and tourism programming is responsive to the industry’s pending needs. These efforts, says the associate dean of Humber’s Faculty of Business, make it an ideal time to enroll.
“Looking ahead, by the time students currently coming into hospitality and tourism programs finish their studies, they will be in prime demand by an industry seeking talent to fill gaps created during the pandemic,” says Rudi Fischbacher. “A lot of furloughed employees have changed industries totally, and that will create opportunities as we see a rebound in leisure travel start.”
Among Humber’s related offerings are programs as wide ranging as diplomas in Tourism - Travel Services Management and Hospitality - Hotel and Restaurant Operations Management, a Hospitality and Tourism Operations Management graduate certificate, and a bachelor of commerce in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Currently suspended, the degree program, says Fischbacher, is being retooled to guarantee relevance — a process Humber has embraced with all of its offerings since the pandemic’s onset.
“Our strength is in offering workintegrated learning experiences,” he says. “So, for example, as we transitioned to online learning, we created opportunities for students with partners in Mexico and Costa Rica. Students have participated in case and real scenarios that focus on developing solutions while they acquire unique skills and international experience.”
A major goal of Humber’s hospitality and tourism programming, says Fischbacher, is to equip students with both technical and soft skills, such as communication and service abilities. This, he says, turns students into global citizens — a crucial quality in an industry that caters to the global community.
“What also plays an important role in offering students this holistic experience is their peers, who come from different backgrounds and have different life experiences to share,” says Fischbacher. “We want students to walk out of the institution and say their money and time were well spent to get those employability skills that they so need.”