The IGNOU School of Tourism, Hospitality Services Management has come up with not only training people but also providing excellent placements in leading organisations in the country for aspirants in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector
The training cell of the School of Tourism, Hospitality Services Management (SOTHSM) of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) at the Regional Centre Bhopal in collaboration with Tourism Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh is an initiative and way forward to develop and design vocational training programmes for human resource development in the tourism sector.
The Preparatory Steps
At the very basic level a detailed project report for training 320 students in housekeeping, front desk operations, food and beverage was prepared and submitted to Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation. Further to that the project was sanctioned under the scheme of Capacity building for service providers.
An MOU was signed between the Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) and Indira Gandhi National Open University for the development of the certificate programme and diploma in Hotel operations on Monday 05th January 2009 by the registrar of the IGNOU and the Principal Secretary Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation in the presence of Hon. Vice Chancellor and State Tourism Minister.
The project allowed a detailed picture of the expenditure on faculty fees, food, tool kit, uniform, study material and administrative contingency. Nevertheless, the study material was prepared by a group of experts but was essentially approved by the Tourism department. The local needs of the hotel industry were ascertained and contents were tailored to meet its needs. This was critical to make the training employment oriented.
The Areas Of Training
The course was focused to customise it for an industry-specific and job-oriented programme. In consultation with the stakeholders the certificate courses were prepared in following three sectors:
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Certificate in Front Office Operations (CFO)
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Certificate in Housekeeping Operations (CHO)
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Certificate in Food & Beverage Service Operations (CFBO)
Nine books were developed at the Regional Centre level in self instruction mode by the subject experts drawn from various institutions on; -
Understanding Tourism
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Functional communicative skills and personnel grooming
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Destination Madhya Pradesh
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Front office operations Part-1
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Front Office operations Part-2 (Practical manual)
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Housekeeping operations Part-1
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Housekeeping operations Part-2 (Practical manual )
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Food and beverage service operations Part-1
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Food and beverage service operations Part-2 (Practical manual)
Special Features of the Project
The course was designed specifically to which includes 60 days of intensive class room sessions and intensive Practical Industrial training in core areas for 60 days in the finest hotel of the Madhya Pradesh.
Facilities extended to the students include, a low fee structure Rs.3000/- per student, free study material and training kits, lunch and refreshments during class room training, two sets of uniforms (including shoes), stipend Rs.1500/- every month during hotel internship.
In the admission process the eligibility criteria is 10+2 in any stream with a minimum 45% marks for Certificate in Front Office Operations (CFO) and Certificate in Food & Beverage Service Operations (CFBO) and 10th with a minimum 45% marks and the batch size- 40 trainees/batch /programme.
The Study Centres of the course are Madhya Pradesh Institute of Hospitality Training (MPIHT) Bhopal, for CFO and Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) Bhopal for CFBO and CHO.
Curriculum and Faculty
These certificate programmes are finely designed for a single stream to create an expertise in a specific stream which May help the student to focus for the selection of the functional area in the industry.
The faculty was identified from the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), MPIHT, Frankfinn Finishing School and managers of reputed hotels.
SOTHSM finalised the time table, assigned classes to faculty and monitored the conducting of the contact sessions.
Preparation of assignments, guiding students for project work.
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Log books for hotel training maintained by trainees and verified by manager/trainer.
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Evaluation at the end of the classes.
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Grading of students on the basis of their performance.
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Certification by IGNOU R.C, Bhopal.
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80% attendance in classroom and internship was mandatory.
Total number of students certified under Certificate in Front office Operations( CFO), Certificate in Housekeeping Operations (CHO) and Certificate in Food and beverage Service Operation(CFBO) is 87, 43 and 45. Of these according to the records maintained in the placement cell of IGNOU & MPIHT 80% of the students got job offers. These placements were effected in reputed companies like PVR, ITC Groups of Hotels, Barbeque nation and in reputed three star category hotels both inside and outside Madhya Pradesh.
These courses are designed with a multi-dimensional focus which generates the skilled personnel's for the growing tourism and hospitality sector of the state and facilitate the unemployed youth of the state to enhance their skill and avail the benefits of the jobs opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sector in the state and other parts of the country.
This course not only provides the basic technical knowledge about the hotel industry, but also helps in the improvement of personality and communicative skills of the students, which help these students to enter the booming tourism sector.
