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Enhancing hospitality and tourism graduate employability through the 2u2i program

Mohd Fadil Mohd Yusof (Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism and Wellness, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, Malaysia)
Anthony Wong (Asian Overland Services Tours and Travel Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia, Malaysia)
Ghazali Ahmad (Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism and Wellness, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, Malaysia)
Roslizawati Che Aziz (Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism and Wellness, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, Malaysia)
Kashif Hussain (Centre for Research and Innovation in Tourism, Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management, Taylor’s University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia)

Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes

ISSN: 1755-4217

Article publication date: 5 March 2020

Issue publication date: 20 April 2020

642

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the concept of 2u2i – two years attachment with university and two years attachment with industry – a new learning mode introduced by the Ministry of Education as a strategy to enhance the employability of university undergraduate degree students in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

The new mode of undergraduate degree program requires the university and industry to collaborate on the design of the curriculum and development of student training programs. Based on a series of qualitative discussions, the paper draws on the perspectives of university administrators and selected practitioners from the hospitality and tourism industry who are interested in developing 2u2i curriculum and working together to enhance the overall employability of university graduates. The paper explains the issues and challenges in implementing the 2u2i program at a local public university as a case study in Malaysia.

Findings

The 2u2i program provides a significant opportunity for industry to collaborate with the university in enhancing competencies and relevant skills among degree graduates so that they are able to excel in the workplace. Some of the issues and challenges involve bureaucratic procedures, time constraints in developing the program with industry, delay in approval procedures of the program and extra costs highlighted in managing the program with industry. Despite several challenges relating to the implementation of the program, it is important for industry to collaborate with universities in designing relevant curriculum to augment the employability skills of university graduates in Malaysia.

Originality/value

This paper explores different strategies for engaging with industry practitioners so that they are able to work closely with the university in crafting academic curricula in the hospitality and tourism field. This is important because it enhances university graduate employability via a relevant curriculum based on input from the industry.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge support by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International Affair), Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and Ministry of Education, Malaysia.

Citation

Mohd Yusof, M.F., Wong, A., Ahmad, G., Che Aziz, R. and Hussain, K. (2020), "Enhancing hospitality and tourism graduate employability through the 2u2i program", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 137-144. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-12-2019-0077

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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