Can Advanced Apprenticeship Programs in Higher Education Be the Key for Developing Skills in the Tourism Sector? Evidence from North Cyprus

ABSTRACT

The challenges facing the tourism industry and tourism educators call out for a new paradigm of tourism education. This requirement for this study is illustrated in the results obtained from the sector professionals and tourism graduates. This qualitative research has taken place in North Cyprus, through in-depth, face-to-face interviews with twenty-two representatives to identify the principle requirements for a contemporary tourism education degree that is consistent with the requirements of all stakeholders. Advanced apprenticeship programs in higher education may resolve the skills shortages in the tourism sector, with evidence of sector representatives outlining the need for learning and assessment to take place in the workplace and graduates outlining their preferred and most effective courses they have applied in the workplace to be those that had practical training elements. The results of this study can serve as a model for developing programs for other tourism and hospitality educational institutes.

KEYWORDS:

• Tourism education
• advanced apprenticeship
• sector skills

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).