The Scotsman Hotel: Learning Needs of Workers and Competency Report

This report examines the critical importance of identifying and addressing the learning needs of workers in the hospitality industry, using the Scotsman Hotel as a case study. It delves into the implementation of competency-based learning systems, exploring the background of the hotel, the demographics of the workforce, and the benefits of tailored training programs. The report reviews relevant literature, defines key issues related to employee training, and analyzes the impact of factors such as employee turnover, cultural diversity, and generational differences (Generation Y) on the effectiveness of learning initiatives. It highlights the need for clear analysis, data-driven decision-making, and detailed discussions on training initiatives and challenges. The report concludes with recommendations for improving learning outcomes and fostering a more competent and satisfied workforce within the hospitality sector. The study emphasizes the need for adaptability and the adoption of modern learning methods, such as smart learning, to address the evolving needs of employees and the industry.

University
The importance of effectively identifying learning needs of workers
in the hospitality industry: The introduction of competency-based
learning within Scotsman Hotel
Name

Table of Contents
Background and description of area under study 3
Literature review 3
Defining and identifying the issues 6
Clear analysis and decision-making based on valid information or data 6
Detailed discussion on initiatives and issues 6
Conclusion 7
Recommendation 7
References 8
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Background and description of area under study
The study shall primarily cover aspects related to learning need of workers and how competency
based learning systems can be secured for them. For the convenience of the study of the study,
the Scotsman Hotel is chosen here. The hotel is established on a century old building which used
to hold The Scotsman Newspaper company for a century. The hotel is located in the old part of
Edinburg, UK. The hotel has been one of the most beautiful and richly decorated hotels in the
area. It offers top class facilities, services and food to the customers and houses with different
kind of games and other entertainment instruments. The hotel is swarmed by many tourists
coming from different parts of the world. This issues have raised the need to enquire and know
about the presence of proper training and education among the hospitality staffs. It can be said
that with good education and training, the staffs can be able to provide better services to the
customers and understand each and every of their needs and requirements. The need of learning
among the hotel staffs have somehow raised the need for providing them with the facilities of
competency based learning. In the scenario of competency based learning, staffs are provided
training and education on the basis of their overall grasping capabilities and intellect. Thus, the
systematic education systems can not only help in facilitating the customers with the right kind
of services and food, but shall also help in improving the overall environment and work culture
in the hotel.
Literature review
Different Studies have been conducted on the topic of the need band facilitation of education to
the various of the people in the hospitality industry. From the works of Narz, Downing and
Glass, it can be known and made out that the workforce in the hospitality industry is mainly
comprised of the young people (Jiang and Alexakis, 2017). These young aged people are also
categorized as Generation Y people. These people have high capability to do work. However,
they have some distinct features and characteristic traits. They are more interested in the work
that is more interactive and provides with clear and detailed information. In this respect, they
search for job where the job positions are clearly specified. They also show good responses to
the things that are taught to them (Brownell and Chung, 2001). It has also been seen that there
remains lack of managerial competence among these people. Due to lower managerial
competency, these people fail to get proper satisfaction in their work. Here comes the need and
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scope of competency based learning. Clearly defined terms of the learning has to be made and
this has to be systematically taught to the young group of employees. It has been also noticed
that due to providing of education without considering the competency has brought in huge
issues. The employee turnover rate to be seen in the UK and Australian hospitality industry
reached almost that of 300 per cent per annum, which can be said to be a big threat for the whole
of the hospitality industry (Barron, 2008). The reasons such as family conflicts, poor working
conditions and emotional burdens and poor health factors have also played significant role in the
increase of employee turnover. While in bigger hotels and hospitality institutes, work pressure,
uneven working hours and lack of proper education and training has put a lot of physical and
mental burdens on the employees working there. This has been the main reason for them to be
less satisfied with their work coupled with poor managerial skills. Thus, in the present time, such
high rates of employee turnover can be seen in the country (Jaiswal and Dhar, 2015). High
turnover rates has led to fall of overall profits earned by the various of the institutions working
and performing in the hospitality industry. This factor has brought in the need of arranging
competence based learning in this sector. The learning not only plays role in increasing the
overall skills of the workforce, but also makes them more competent for their work and makes
the things easier for them (Tyler, Dymock and Henderson, 2016). This results into increase of
their average productivity, which in turn bring an improvement of their life and living. The
customers are also satisfied with the efficient service and apt behaviors shown by them due to
proper learning. Most of the organizations have succumbed to undertaking harsh selection tests
in order to properly scrutiny and know about the skills and competencies of the workforce
(Jauhari, 2013). Then, the workforce is seen through tailored training and development
programme, where they are taught about the skills and behaviors to be possessed while dealing
with the customers. The education and training is provided to most of the graduate candidates
that are chosen for manager to or other work in the hospitality sector. Different kind of courses
are offered under the competency based education and learning in the hospitality sector. The
abilities of students are accessed with exercise and tests (Wang and Tsai, 2014). They are
accessed with various of written exercises and reports, oral presentation and debates. The
competence based learning programme includes the courses such as Masters in Management and
Hospitality programme It includes elements such as strategic orientation, analytical ability,
ethical awareness, and a global orientation. The final 64-credit 6 curriculum, is composed of
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themes to inculcate sensitivity to diversity and skills such as indulgence towards work and
commitment to individualizing student learning within a highly diverse environment (Shum,
Gatling and Shoemaker, 2018). In this present age, the workforce generally belonging from the
generation Y demands respect in their workplace, good involvements and payments and career
building scopes. The training of food production and food training have been somewhat
eradicated from the learning courses in the graduate level of the hospitality course. This
somewhat has disinterested many of the students from opting proper learning in this line, also
because of limited career options offered by many institutes. These problems can be eradicated
by providing the right kind of practical competence based education. In the technological updates
world, most of the staffs coming from the Generation Y group are equipped with the knowledge
of new technology (Tran and Soejatminah, 2017.). These technologies such as smart learning and
home based assignment are also planned and conducted by the learning institutions in the
industry so that competent learning can be established. The generation Y people being grown up
in a less competitive family environment value family time more as compared to the previous
generation staffs (Wan Hsu, Wong and Liu, 2017). They also face issues in adjusting to the
working conditions at various of the hotels and other concerns. Thus, this system of learning has
been designed in order to cope with the changing situation of learning in the hospitality industry
(Bustreo, Micheletto, Quaratino and Fiorentino, 2018). In the competence based learning
scheme, different things are exercised upon and taught or made to practice by the students. These
include activities such as inculcating critical thinking, developing the present analytical skills
among the students, building up leadership skills and managerial competence among them,
encouraging working in a team basis etc. The institutes also take steps to develop the
communication skills, strategies for self-management, development of the various IT skills and
building up among them values of discipline and integrity (Jackson, 2015). These factors help in
making the students more competent and thus they are able to easily understand and pay
attention to the things that are taught, easily grasping almost all of the things that are taught to
them in the class. Competency based learning has been inculcated in both the bachelor's as well
as master’s degree course of the hospitality industry study and learning programmes (Li and Liu,
2018). It can be said that with the inculcation of various steps, the proper stance about the skills
and competencies of the student can be accurately known and on basis of that, further
development and improvements can be made in the mode of learning.
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Defining and identifying the issues
Clear analysis and decision-making based on valid information or data
It can be said that there is huge learning need among the workers in the hospitality industry. It
has been understood by the analysis and study on relevant texts and articles that in order to cater
to all needs of customers and provide them with the right kind of service by understanding their
requirements, the insulation of competence based learning is mandatory. Decision can be reached
upon by understanding the overall scene of education in the hospitality industry. The learning
institutes and hotel management schools should impart the students by keeping their own cultural
identity (Bharwani and Talib, 2017). Proper methods have to be used and no one should be
demeaned while the education programme is being provided. The students should be taught as
per their capability and their improvements have to be encouraged.
Detailed discussion on initiatives and issues
The main issues that can be seen while providing the staffs with competence based learning is
the presence of multilingualism and cultural diversity. The managers face problem in persuading
and among the staffs understand, many of whole have come up to work from different countries
and cultural background. Thus, it becomes a real tough job to decide and determine their overall
level of competence and provide them with the right kind of training and education. The non-
compliance also shown by many of the young staffs joining the learning programmes leads to
hindrance in the overall way of conducting the learning programme (Weinland, Gregory and
Petrick, 2016). The noncompliance leads to poor planning and understanding of their
competency. In addition, the learning programme cannot be properly performed by the educators
due to such kind of reluctance shown by the students in the hospitality industry. Thus, due to
these issues, the proper competency based learning cannot be provided. The another big issue
which comes up is lack of proper managerial competence among the Generation Y people
coming for work in the Hospitality Industry (Elbaz, Haddoud and Shehawy, 2018). They have
less patience in learning a thing for a long time, easily faces issues in adjusting with things and
changes and thus they easily quit jobs. Thus, it also becomes a tough job to understand their
overall competence and requirements and provide an adequate kind of competency based
training and education to them based on the situation and other factors.
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Conclusion
The study has considered deep analysis related to the overall importance and need of learning
among the employee in the hospitality industry. The study has analyzed and taken into
consideration the reading of different articles and literary documents based on the main theme of
the study. The need of proper learning among workers have been referred from various of the
texts. Further, the process and need of competency based learning process among the staffs of
the hospitality industry has also been explained and considered in the whole of this study. The
hindrances in the path of providing the competency based learning the toe staffs in the hospitality
industry has also been pointed out in this study in order to get a better understand of the theme of
the analysis in here.
Recommendation
It can be recommended that the right kind of education have to be imparted to the people
working in the hospitality industry. By understanding their overall capability, cultural
background and other factors, right kind of education have to be imparted to them. On basis of
identification of their competence, education has to be given Many a times, it is seen that the
wright consideration of the competence is not done. This thing has to be avoided in order to
ensure that staffs learn the proper things and may perform better.
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