Real-Life Working Experience at Nilai Springs
Hospitality and tourism students at Nilai U get to taste real-life working experience at Nilai Springs Resort Hotel and Nilai Springs Golf and Country Club“In the hospitality and tourism industry, hands-on experience is highly valued,” states Edward Felix Joseph, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism at Nilai University (Nilai U). Nilai U offers an added advantage in that hospitality students hone their craft at the nearby Nilai Springs Resort Hotel and Nilai Springs Golf and Country Club, both of which are part of the Nilai Resources Group to which Nilai U also belongs.
Edward says that having a four-star hotel and 27-hole golf course a stone’s throw away from campus is hugely beneficial to his students.
“They get to learn first-hand how these organisations function. The Nilai Springs staff makes sure that our students are exposed to real-life working experience, adding responsibility and building confidence, thus making internship placement highly fulfilling.”
Senior staff of Nilai Springs Resort Hotel and Nilai Springs Golf and Country Club serve as Adjuncts for the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism. This allows for greater and faster feedback from them which is immediately used, especially for the practical portion of the curriculum.
Students complete their On-Job-Training at Nilai Springs. GK How, General Manager of Nilai Springs Resort Hotel, points out that students get to experience working for a variety of events.
“From weddings to corporate team building sessions, students experience what it takes to plan, organise and successfully run events at a four-star hotel. Hands-on experience is invaluable in this industry. This is a win-win situation for both the university and Nilai Springs. For the hotel, we get a first- hand look at potential employees.”
Nilai U’s Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism has been in operation since 2003. It currently offers a BA (Hons) in Business and Hospitality Management and three Diploma programmes in Hotel Management, Tourism Management and Culinary Arts.
All the programmes are designed to have good balance of theoretical and practical skills. Students initially learn the basics at the on-campus Flamme Restaurant as well as the mock hotel room and check-in counter before moving to the hotel and golf resort for the real-life working experiences.
Edward says that employers in the hospitality and tourism industry prefer graduates with working experience.
“Having real working experience such as provided by Nilai Springs highlight to employers that Nilai University graduates are career ready. ”
Students from Nilai U’s Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism are also entitled to earn added certification from the Malaysian Food and Beverage Association (MFBEA), further boosting their employability. For more information, please visit www.nilai.edu.my or call 06-8502308.
