Investigating the effectiveness of conventional hospitality education curriculum in shaping Millennials’ career commitment: an empirical inquiry

ABSTRACTThis research paper investigates the impact of conventional curriculum design in hospitality programs on Millennials’ commitment to a career in the hospitality industry. Quantitative data was collected through a survey to gather the perceptions and feedback of Indonesian hospitality graduates. The results revealed a significant influence of theoretical knowledge and complementary industry-relevant soft skills on Millennials’ career commitment. However, the practical curriculum did not show the same influence, as respondents expressed concerns about the physical demands of the hospitality industry, which negatively affected their commitment to a career in the field. These findings provide valuable insights for hoteliers, suggesting the need for strategic adjustments in their employment plans to ensure a sustainable workforce supply, particularly among Millennial hospitality graduates. Additionally, the study underscores the importance of modernising hospitality education curriculum design, highlighting the more significant impact of theoretical knowledge and relevant soft skills on career commitment compared to practical skills.KEYWORDS: Hospitality programmehotel industrymillennial graduatescurriculum designcareer commitment Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThe work was supported by the Universitas Negeri Padang [1014/UN35.13/LT/2022].