LPU creates professionals for the booming hospitality, tourism & aviation sectors

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As per research reports on hotel, aviation and tourism industry, many thousands of trained and skilled professionals are required to work for this sector in all parts of the world. Aviation industry alone offers 56.6 million jobs globally, and Indian aviation industry is estimated to become the third largest aviation market in the world by 2020. Similarly, with the growing number of tourists every year and the rapid expansion of hotels of international standards, the need for skilled and trained people is also on the rise in the hospitality & tourism industry. As per the World Travel and Tourism Council, the tourism industry, too, provides near 39.5 million jobs.

Keeping all this in consideration, the School of Hotel Management and Tourism of Lovely Professional University (LPU) has been functioning innovatively to nurture world class professionals for the booming hospitality, tourism and aviation sectors. LPU School exposes students to internationally benchmarked theoretical and intensive practical inputs by experienced faculty. LPU faculty instills passion and entrepreneurial skills among students with best possible infrastructure; under multicultural environment; and, by providing hands on skills. LPU faculty is academically and industrially enriched, and faculty-students ratio is 1:20 for providing superior and individual attention to each and every LPU student. In order to motivate students, different workshops and events are also organised by inviting top personalities in the field. This session, Michelin-starred Chef Vikas Khanna shared his great experiences with LPU students during pragmatic interactions for broadening students’ vision.

Campus Placements

LPU students of hotel management and tourism, 2015 passing out batch, have earned 100% placement with prestigious establishments including the Oberoi Group, Zuri, Grand View, Hyatt, Golden Tulip, Bercos and more. MSc Hotel Management student Anish Vikas Diwikar has been selected by world’s Top Hotel Company ‘Ritz-Carlton’ (USA) at Rs 22.5 Lakh salary per annum. As a seasoned Chef, Anish was trained at the school for preparing Thai, Mexican & Italian foods in addition to varied sea-food preparations for beach tourists. Another student, Karan Sharma of BSc (Airlines, Tourism & Hospitality Management), has been selected on Rs 18 Lakh salary per annum by Qatar Airways as Cabin Crew. Other prestigious recruiters of LPU students are Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces, Radisson, Vivanta Hotels & Resorts, JayPee Hotels, Air Asia, JET Airways, Spicejet, Indigo, Delhi Indira Gandhi International airport and more.

Industry Linkages & Exposure

LPU School has professional memberships of FHRAI (Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India) and HRANI (Hotel and Restaurant Associations of Northern India). There are also live projects and modern laboratories at LPU School for enhancing students’ skills to work in industry or as an entrepreneur. Live projects include University Hotel-‘UNIHOTEL’ with 25 rooms, multi-cuisine restaurant, Gym, Fitness center, Business lounge and more which are managed and run by staff and students. School also manages all VIP caterings of the university; conducts Government of India’s “Hunar Se Rozgar Tak” program for Ministry of Tourism; Dhabha certification program in collaboration with Punjab heritage and tourism promotion board; and more. It also works for the preparation of nutritionally high-value sandwiches and tourist information office.

Punjab Government has shown deep interest in the endeavours of LPU School of Hotel Management & Tourism. During the last financial year, 8 batches of “Hunar Se Rozgar Tak (HSRT)” scheme students have been trained with success. One extra batch was also allotted to LPU school by Punjab Tourism after seeing the School’s progress. In this regard, a total grant of Rs 28 lakhs was fetched by LPU School of Hotel Management & Tourism.

Professional Training & Skill Building

LPU School has modern Basic Training Kitchen (BTK), Quantity Food Kitchen (QTK) with stainless steel 304 grade kitchen equipments. Students learn here basic culinary art and continental cuisines to further learn international cooking traits and art. Students are prepared to face the challenges of cooking for large groups and methods of a variety of delicacies. The bakery and confectionery lab provides students with live practical training in the art of baking and decorating different cakes, cookies, pastries and thereby making students professional in this field. Similarly, basic and advanced training restaurants train students in bar service and to enhance the setup techniques of food and beverage service. Similarly, latest housekeeping techniques and front office desk dealings are told to students. Airlines and Tourism students are made to experience ‘Mock aircraft’ with Business class facilities for getting live training in terms of greeting, announcements, serving, handling of special passengers and emergency situations.

Hotel Management programs of LPU School are devised to introduce students to contemporary challenges in the hospitality industry through class work, applied assignments, directed projects and research. Special attention is paid towards improving the communication skills and personality of the students. The programs also provide inputs on all of the relevant areas- Front office, Housekeeping, Sales and Marketing and Human resource. So, students are prepared to meet the challenges in the national as well as International arena of the hospitality sector, which is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Under these study programs, students have coveted career prospects as Management Trainee, Guest/ Customer Relation Executive, Kitchen Management/ Housekeeping Management Trainee in Hotels, Hospital and Institutional Catering Executives, Cabin Crew in National and International Airlines, Catering Officer or Chef in Cruise lines, Marketing/ Sales Executive, Executive in Tourism Development Corporations and Resort properties, or, above all Self-employed entrepreneurs.

The course in Airlines and Tourism provides an opportunity for students to develop academic and industry specific skills linked to the commercial aviation industry. This course is designed around one of the world’s most exciting and vibrant industries—Tourism. The course provides students with an understanding of the structure, nature and operating characteristics of the international tourism industry. It examines a range of contemporary issues associated with the travel and tourism industry.

LPU School of Hotel Management & Tourism offers Diploma and Certificate programs in Food and Beverage Production after 10th; Diploma in Cabin Crew and Hospitality Management (One Year), BSc Airlines, Tourism & Hospitality (ATH) of 3 years, BHMCT (Bachelor of Hotel Management & Catering Technology) 4 years after 10+2; and, 2 years each programs of MSc (Hotel Management) & MBA (Tourism and Hospitality), and one year PG Diploma in Hotel Management after graduation.

As Such, LPU School of Hospitality is constantly endeavouring to impart knowledge, skills, concepts and techniques in the right environment for the students to learn and emerge as global hospitality service providers. LPU School trains the students not only in fulfilling the expected standards of hospitality but also the background work which every manager should be capable of performing.