The Hospitality Industry
Creating Opportunities

The International hotel Industry is facing an extreme shortage of talented, competent, well trained AND experienced Management staff. It is well documented that the Hospitality Industry is expanding worldwide and figures show that by the year 2005 the industry will employ more than 200 million workers.

As an illustration of how one can study in Australia to enter this profession, lets look at The Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School. B.M.I.H.M.S recognizes that students, as individuals, have different motivations, desires and goals. As a consequence, they have developed and implemented a variety of courses designed to appeal to and meet the expectations of the International student body which make up the campus.

Not only are these qualifications designed to meet student expectations, they are also designed to meet the demands of the exciting and dynamic Hotel Management Industry. Additionally, these qualifications are accredited at the highest level with the appropriate accrediting bodies.

Graduates receive Swiss, Australian and British qualifications subject to the courses studied. With Europe now being joined in Union, the British and Swiss qualifications are very necessary and extremely highly regarded.

There is economic benefit in studying in Australia rather than the UK or Europe. The Australian dollar is more affordable than its ‘EURO’ counterpart.

Combining the economic benefits with the obvious attractions of AUSTRALIA makes it a great place to live, learn and earn.

Imagine yourself living in Leura, one of the prettiest villages in one of the most popular tourist regions of New South Wales, the Blue Mountains National Park.

What makes the area special is that, even though it is spread over 240,000 hectares and includes a world heritage-listed national wilderness park, the Blue Mountains is virtually on the doorstep of Sydney. You are a fast 1 ½ hours from Australia’s most exciting city, and, on a clear day, it is possible to see its skyline.

Fine food, good wine and art combined with the beauty of the National Park are but a few of the major attractions which this semi-rural city offers students from throughout Australia and all over the world.

As Leura lies in the heart of this thriving tourism area, students seeking part time work have opportunities to find employment in the many hotels, guest houses and restaurants nearby. This experience will be a great advantage in gaining one of those exciting competitive positions during the Sydney Year 2000 Olympic Games. To date there are over 680 graduates currently working in exciting, interesting, well paid positions in the major 4 and 5 star hotels throughout the world.

Surrounded by gardens in a region that is well known for its beautiful public and private gardens, the BMIHMS campus offers its own range of recreational facilities: heated swimming pool, tennis court, gymnasium, sauna, recreation room with pool table, coffee shop, student dining room, beach volley ball court. The Leura golf course is just across the road.

Australia’s first residential hospitality school was opened in 1991. Students live in comfortable shared accommodation. Rooms have windows looking out to the gardens and all have en-suite bathrooms. Each is equipped with a telephone and a computer linked to Email and the Internet.

The School is quite self-contained with its own library and computer room where students can study and work. All students share several things in common, among them the pursuit of a career in hospitality or tourism, and the fact that they are all living away from home. Aware of these facts, staff are available to assist students after hours if required. The School also has a full-time counselor on staff and an International Students Association.

Students operate the School as a Hotel throughout their course, where they are both employees and guests, acquiring experience in Front Office, Reception and Room Service. From day one they are rostered on a range of duties that include cooking and waiting in Covers, one of the student run restaurants. All wear attractive uniforms and name badges, as they would in a quality hotel, and with a diverse range of nationalities represented, the campus has a very cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Courses

The BMIHMS is a member of the Leading Hotel Management Schools of the World with affiliated schools located in Switzerland, Greece and New Zealand. (Courses are presented in association with the International Hotel and Tourism Training Institute, Neuchatel, Switzerland. (IHTTI))

Based on the Swiss ‘three pillars of learning’ model, practical skills, theoretical knowledge and personal development, the curriculum is designed to provide students with a thorough knowledge of all aspects of hotel management.

Management skills, leadership, practical knowledge, a high degree of self discipline and a positive attitude are the underlying principles of the School philosophy.

Advanced Diploma course

This is a two and a half year course. Students graduate with a BMIHMS Advanced Diploma in Hotel Management as well as a Swiss Diploma in Hotel Management from the IHTTI.

 

Subjects studied include financial management, marketing and tourism, behavioral science, food and beverage systems, rooms division management and professional development.

As part of the course, all students ‘earn and learn’, undertaking two periods of six months each in an industry placements, working at leading hotels and resorts throughout Australia as well as overseas, gaining experience, making contacts and earning wages.

The course is open to anyone 18 years or over; mature age students welcome. Overseas students with English as a second language must attain a knowledge of the language to an IELTS equivalent level of 6.0 or TOEFL of 550. Arrangements can be made for entry into selected language courses prior to enrolment at the BMIHMS.

Degree Extension

The BMIHMS also has articulation agreements with reputable universities both within Australia and internationally, such as the University of Bournemouth, UK, whereby students can graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Management. These degree extensions range from six months further study on campus to approximately one year studied externally.

Post graduate courses:

Graduate Diploma in Hotel Management

Open to students with a degree in any discipline, this 18-month course provides the educational path for individuals to upgrade their qualifications and aims to advance skills, knowledge and professional attitudes to enable graduates to proceed to higher levels in hotel management.

Students are required to live in on campus during the first semester, studying operational skills in food and beverage, front office management and housekeeping. This is followed by paid placement in a recognised hotel in Australia or overseas, during which time students commence two of the System Units by distance learning.

Students have access to a comprehensive learning package of texts and computer discs and have on-going support from lecturers.

The BMIHMS has two student intakes each year - February and July.

This article first appeared in TransWorld Education