Employers ‘reluctant' to educate managers
Old-fashioned attitudes by hospitality bosses are holding back the education of tomorrow's managers, according to Donald Sloan, director of Oxford Brookes University.
Too many managers, said Sloan, are well educated in areas such as flambé service and identifying cuts of beef. "We encounter a paternalistic view that puts too much emphasis on operational skills," he said.
Sloan, who was addressing delegates at the HCIMA London Conference, believes that hospitality employers are showing a reluctance to fund qualifications that may appeal to other industries. But this, he said, is a short-sighted view.
"Companies that provide opportunities for management are likely to attract higher-calibre staff and loyalty. Students should be given transferable skills that will equip them for life," he said.