7th ITB Hospitality Day on HR: Mass exodus from the hotel industry
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| Training first, studies later? / photo: FH Bad Honnef Reichenhall |
Berlin (February 24, 2012). The demographic statistics have reliably forecasted it for many years: The service industries in particular will struggle with the lack of the younger generation. At the same time, the demands for a more academic, younger generation are piling up because the hotel industry is becoming increasingly more complicated. Hotels today can no longer be directed without knowledge of business economics. Nevertheless, is the young manager still to master the trade? All types of courses of studies simply spring from the ground. What is serious? And how can the industry ultimately inspire the young people? The statistics attest to the contrary here: A sort of "Mass Exodus" from the hotel industry. Well-known experts discuss this at the "ITB Hospitality Day" during ITB Berlin on March 8.
The title "War for Talent: Mass exodus from the hotel industry" was chosen with knowing provocation because the situation is serious: The hotel industry trains the younger generation and then loses them to other industries afterwards. How can it inspire young people? And what does the industry offer to the graduates?
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| Hartwig Bohne. |
The topic has many facets. "The students need a passion for the service; the colleges must prepare them for everyday life in the hotel industry and the hotels must pay competitive salaries and create pleasant terms of employment," sums up Robert Wetterauer. The 33 year-old is the recently appointed president of the transnational University Association of the European Council on Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Education (EuroCHRIE). Indeed, he has even experienced this in his own years at the Hotelfachschule Lausanne (Hotel Technical School): "Only 30 percent remained in the hotel industry." He regrets this very much because: "The German hotelier is an export hit! And there are locations worldwide like those by the sand and sea."
Competition of the people, systems and markets
Because today, the expansion of hotel groups worldwide amounts to a predatory competition, the fight for the most capable managers has also began. In the meantime, the HR Directors for the chains are looking for ways to win over the graduates of the colleges early for their concepts.
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| Manuel Konen. |
But at the same time in the market, there is the competition among the various educational systems and courses of study with widely varying main focuses and degrees. The predatory competition has also begun here between the state/governmentally supported and the private schools themselves.
At the moment, Robert Wetterauer has come to feel this personally: He is the president of the first private, dually orientated International University of Cooperative Education (IUCE) in Freiburg and after three years of operation, was recently denied institutional accreditation by the German Science Council in Baden-Wurttemberg. The last word has not yet been spoken, but for the first of the 220 students, their university degrees are wavering at the moment.
With its dual structure, the IUCE wanted to and wants to achieve a close interlocking between science/research and business. What can be done differently or better and/or where are there functioning, realistic attempts in the collaboration between college and company? Maybe in EUROCHRIE, in about 1,300 universities and colleges, participation with their own research centres can combine forces?
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| Katrin Melle. |
Between passion and naked figures
Who has an overview in this field? And is the "King's Way" - serving coffee & analysing budgets - also the right way to inspire the younger generation even today? Presenter, Hartwig Bohne, his last hired position being as Director Promotion of Young Talent and University Marketing with Kempinski Hotels & Resorts and acting for the past year as an independent consultant in Hamburg (hpc bohne Consulting), will presumably give to trouble in providing answers to all of the ensuing questions. The subject awakens a great deal of emotions.
Kartin Melle, Director Human Resources for Europe, Africa and the Middle East with Hyatt International will contribute her particular experiences within the hotel practise. And Manuel Konen, CEO of the personnel recruiters and consultants, Konen & Lorenzen, will shed light on the current developments in personnel acquisition across all borders.
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| Robert Wetterauer. |
Both experts themselves persuade young people of the positive sides of service in the hotel industry with great passion - and will then also underpin this with facts and figures in the talk round.
Katrin Melle will place, at minimum, a big question mark behind the subtitle of the discussion
Please note: ITB Hospitality Day, Thursday / 8th of March, 2012, ITB Hall 7.1 B / London auditorium, 15:15 - 16:15 "War for Talent: Mass exodus from the hotel industry." Entry is free for every trade show visitor.
You can find the programme for the entire ITB Hotel Conference under this link. / kn
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