Graduates' Employability: Hospitality Industry 4.0 and Skill Gaps in Egypt

Abstract

The study aims to examine the alignment between the skills required by the hospitality industry and the skills possessed by hospitality higher education graduates in response to Industry 4.0, which affects graduates’ employability. In addition, the study aims to explore skill gaps in the hotel management curriculum that negatively affect graduates’ employability and to highlight the essential skills that are crucial for hotel operators while recruiting fresh graduates for entry-level hotel jobs. The research instrument comprises 38 skills based on four studies to constitute a broad framework of employability skills. The research targeted a total sample of 145 professional managers, representing five operational managers in 29 5-star hotels in Cairo. The results revealed unalignment between hospitality industry requirements and higher education deliverables, and unfortunately, gaps were identified in all skills. Moreover, the result emphasized the great concern that the hospitality industry gives to soft skills and personal attitudes as a basis for its employability, which demands a careful revision of hotel management curricula to treat any shortages in skills and ensure the fulfillment of hospitality industry requirements to enhance graduates' employability. Keywords: industry 4.0, employability skills, curriculum, soft skills, skill gaps