Exploring the education-employment equation in hospitality management : a comparison of graduates and HNDs

In this paper, data from the UK Careers and Choices Survey of 712 Hotel and Catering graduates who completed courses in 1989 are used to compare the experience and perceptions of Bachelor's Degree and Higher National Diploma course alumni in terms of their higher education and subsequent employment. The primary aims of this analysis are to examine the respondents' transition from education to employment and to determine how well they appear to be equipped to meet the needs of the hospitality industry. Do the more ‘craft-based’ diplomates fit more happily into the industry than those taking the more academic vocational route? It is concluded that the two cohorts exhibit significant differences, in terms of evaluations of their courses and early career trajectories, but that these largely derive from their different characteristics (largely independent of higher education experience) and the options available to them. HNDs are more likely to remain in the industry, but there is evidence to suggest that this may be due to the narrower range of opportunities open to them as a result of their more vocationally specialist qualification rather than a stronger commitment to the industry.