As most hotel jobs require both specialization and skill, professional training is essential. Training programmes are of two types. One is the statutory apprenticeship programme for certain categories of trades, like stewards, housekeeping staff, cooks and front office personnel. The other is the formal, structured programme, at craft and diploma levels, set up by the government and some private sector hotel groups.

Institutions

A number of good institutions in the country impart professional training in hotel management. They are of four basic types:

INSTITUTES OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT, CATERING TECHNOLOGY
AND APPLIED NUTRITION

Set up under the aegis of the National Council of Catering and Hotel Management. There are at present, thirteen of these institutes located in various cities. They offer short-term craft and three-year diploma level programmes to 2,160 students annually.

FOODCRAFT INSTITUTES

These are twelve in number, and provide craft level courses to approximately 2,240 people every year.

Private Sector Institutes
 

Three well-known hotel chains conduct hotel management training programmes at diploma/degree level. 
 
The Oberoi School of Hotel Management set up in 1966 offers a three-year management programme. Those eligible are graduates or those with a diploma in hotel management. There are twenty-five seats and students get a stipend of Rs 4,000-5,000 a month. The school is recognized by the International Hotel Association of Paris. 

The Welcomgroup School of Hotel Management in association with the Dr T.M.A Pai Foundation has set up a hotel management school in Manipal, Karnataka. The institute also provides on-the job training facilities at the attached Valley View Hotel. Unlike other institutes this is an undergraduate degree course of three years' duration recognized by Mangalore University. Those who have completed Class 12 or equivalent are eligible for admission. There are eighty-three seats available annually. 

The Taj Group of Hotels has recently set up a hotel management school-the Indian Institute of Hotel Management in Aurangabad. It officers a three-year diploma course and provides on-the job training at the Taj Residency hotel nearby. 

Other hotels, which offer hotel management training, include the Mahindras who have tied up with Days Inn, and offer a four-semester diploma in hotel management affiliated to the American Hotel Management Education Institute and the University of Virginia. Through an agreement with Days Inn, students will also be sent for international training. 

The Kamath Hotel and Restaurant group also propose setting up a 120-seat hotel management institute, which should be ready shortly.
Their combined annual capacity is for about 150 trainees per annum.

Public Sector Training Programmes
  

The India Tourism Development Corporation also takes on fifty-five management trainees every year. 

Apart from the institutions, for those who wish to study abroad, hoteliering qualifications from a number of institutions in Switzerland and the US, particularly from the School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, in the US, are recognized worldwide.

Training Programme

The National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology, an autonomous organization instituted by the Department of Tourism, coordinates all related academic activities, in order to ensure uniformity in training standards. 

Broadly, all programmes mix general education and knowledge of the hospitality industry, managerial and business administration inputs, with specific skills orientation in all aspects of hotel work from good production to computer applications. An essential part of the curriculum is the hands-on, practical training, provided by all institutes.

Eligibility

APPRENTICESHIP/FOODCRAFT INSTITUTES

Tenth class pass in 10+2 system.

HOTEL MANAGEMENT INSTITUTES

Minimum age sixteen years; school leaving certificate in 10+2 system; English as a compulsory subject.

MANAGEMENT TRAINING SCHEMES

Graduation in any discipline from a recognized university.

Selection

The selection process for all institutes of hotel management includes a written test and an interview. In addition to this, admission to courses run by some private sector hotels and to management training schemes would also depend on the candidate's performance in a group discussion and/or
personality tests.

Duration of Training

This varies between six months and three years, depending on the type of course.