Author Identifier (ORCID)
Hana Hadinejad: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3036-8899
Abstract
Demand for a skilled hospitality workforce has accelerated post-pandemic. However, limited research has explored the core competencies desired by the hospitality sector and their alignment with graduate outcomes from bachelor’s programs. Consequently, this study uses the Australian accommodation sector as an exemplar case to examine the alignment of skill supply and demand in the sector. An analysis of 28,000 Australian job advertisements reveals that employers seek a combination of soft and hard skills. Soft skills prevalent in job advertisements include communication, customer-orientation, teamwork, and adaptability. Hard skills that emerged include quality assurance, property management, culinary expertise, hospitality proficiency, and safety. The findings reveal a potential mismatch between core competencies sought by the industry and those developed by Australian universities. To address this, a matrix model is proposed to assist educational institutions in aligning their programs with the practical needs of the job market, enhancing graduate employability and sector relevance.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2025
Volume
25
Issue
3
Publication Title
Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Business and Law
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
First Page
235
Last Page
259
Comments
Amrollahi, A., Hadinejad, H., Moyle, B. D., & Thomas, N. (2025). Graduate outcomes of Australian hospitality educational institutions and skills desired by employers: a matrix model. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 25(3), 235–259. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313220.2025.2541326