Postgraduate Diploma in Hospitality Management

Purpose

The aim of the Postgraduate Diploma in Hospitality Management is to provide a foundational enrichment for learners who want to pursue a form of business development in Hospitality Management.

This qualification is designed to strengthen and deepen the learner's knowledge in Hospitality professions. The primary purpose of the qualification is to enable working professionals to undertake advanced reflection and development using a systematic survey of current thinking, practice and research methods in Hospitality professions.

The search for business development in Hospitality, its profile and conditioning factors are targeted as a field of investigation for learners who can operate at the level of NQF 8. This qualification demands a high level of theoretical engagement and intellectual independence, as well as the ability to relate knowledge to a range of contexts to undertake professional or highly-skilled work. This supportive qualification is required to assist learners in performing during their assessments at NQF Level 8.

Rationale

Various reports on forecasts for the sector were consulted, and national statistics reports for South Africa were consulted. The CATHSSETA (Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority) Sector Skills Report (2014/15-2016/17) was also asked.

The purpose of this report is to analyse the demand for and supply of skills to the sector and, based on this analysis, to determine the skills needs and the skills development priorities for the industry. Strategies for addressing these skills needs and the skills development priorities of the industry, as well as meeting the NSDS III goals and targets, also form part of the SSP.

The continual growth in employment in the sector has led to there being a constant demand for skills in all six sub-sectors that constitute the CATHSSETA sector. This demand encompasses a placement demand of 6,794 employees who will be retiring from the industry, 1,593 current vacancies in the sector as well as 1,508 potential vacancies that will be created in the sector over the next two years.

The National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) III for 2011 to 2016 follows the integration of higher and further education and skills development into a single Department of Higher Education and Training. The strategy promotes partnerships between employers, public education institutions (FET colleges, universities, universities of technology), private training providers and SETAs. Priority is given to strengthening the relationship between public colleges and universities and the SETAs, as well as with employers. It also ensures increased access to training and skills development opportunities and achieves the fundamental transformation of inequities linked to class, race, gender, age and disability in our society. It attempts to address the challenges of skills shortages and mismatches in the country and improve productivity in the economy. The strategy consists of 8 goals, 16 outcomes and 38 outputs to be achieved mainly by SETAs in collaboration with the DHET, FET Colleges, Universities and the NSF.

The Tourism industry (of which the Hospitality industry forms the largest sub-sector) worldwide, but also in South Africa employs a large number of people and also grows faster than the rest of the economy. This growth cannot be taken for granted, and like every other thriving industry, it will need to reinvent itself all the time. Reasons for this vary from the needs of increasingly sophisticated consumer populations to the severe competition between large players in the field. Evermore people want to find a share in this lucrative industry.

Re-invention is what entrepreneurship (business leadership) is all about, and this is viewed inside the industry as an essential ingredient inside the maintenance and growth of the Hospitality industry.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL of learners will be conducted on an individual basis per the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy of the institution. A functional system for RPL is in place at the institution where RPL is used as a mechanism to gain access to qualifications.

The institution receives the RPL applications through the Centre for Assessments and Graduations. The learners are required to complete an RPL application document. Accompanying the RPL application must be certified copies of all previous qualifications and a comprehensive portfolio of evidence, reflecting on extensive work learning. Once the institution's RPL coordinator has deemed the RPL application as being complete, the portfolio will be sent to the relevant Department for assessment.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor's Degree/Advanced Diploma in an appropriate field, NQF Level 7.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at Level 8 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 8,120 Credits

• Applied Hospitality Business Leaderships, 30 Credits.
• Trends and Internationalisation in Hospitality, 30 Credits.
• Hospitality Product and Service Development, 30 Credits.
• Applied Statistical Analysis Hospitality Project, 30 Credits.

1. Apply leadership skills to motivate employees to participate in both the design and implementation of strategic business ventures.
2. Analyse trends in Hospitality in South Africa and relate it to international trends.
3. Develop a sustainable Hospitality initiative (event) or a service.
4. Conduct research within the Hospitality system.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Identify the external factors affecting the main components and services within the Hospitality system.
• Evaluate the systemic inter-relationships between the main components and services of the system.
• Develop a strategic market leadership plan for a specific business in the Hospitality industry.
• Explain the importance of leadership in achieving participation from the workforce in the strategic plan of the business.
• Discuss a variety of people skills in motivating a workforce.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Analyse the financial benefits resulting from the internationalisation of a local trend.
• Compile a case study of how an internationalised trend became part of the local service bouquet in Hospitality is presented.
• Analyse the kinds of needs addressed by the emergence of specific trends.
• Identify the experienced differences between local and international as reported by clients of the Hospitality industries.
• Analyse the desirability of particular trends given the values of local culture and international pressure groups.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Conduct a viability study that considers strategic thrusts in the industry.
• Compile a product development plan.
• Compile a business plan to enable the entrepreneurial opportunity.
• Present a business plan according to standard conventions.
• Plan the detail of a product launching project.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Identify a research problem within the Hospitality system.
• Justify the investigation of a research problem in terms of given criteria.
• Select the appropriate methodology for a research project.
• Develop and write a proposal.
• Apply the selected methodology for achieving the research milestones.
• Analyse the collected data pockets statistically.
• Present the findings of the research according to institutional requirements.

Integrated Assessment

The underpinning principle for the achievement of integrated assessment is ensuring that all work and assessments enable learners to commence with situations and required decisions in a Hospitality environment. There is provision of both formative and summative forms of assessment practices.

Furthermore, as the qualification is practice-oriented, the theory acquired is put into practice. Achievement of the synergy between theory and practice via:

• addressing several outcomes together.
• clustering several assessment criteria together.
• promoting and raising awareness of the connections and relationships between the knowledge, processes and skills inside the different modules; and
• using a combination of several different assessment methods, instruments and tools to achieve the outcome(s).

Finally, work done in the module Applied Statistical Analysis Hospitality Project will specifically integrate all the Exit Level Outcomes of the qualification.

Both the formative and the summative assessment will contribute 50% to the final mark.

The use of formative assessment during the semester provides learners with feedback to improve on future assessments.