Sustainablity in higher education in tourism

SAVONIA International week – Seminar Sustainable Higher Education Kuopio, 29 March 2011

SUSTAINABLE HIGER EDUCATION IN THE SECTOR OF TOURISM IN THE SECTOR OF TOURISM

IN BULGARIAIN BULGARIA

PhD. Sonia MilevaPhD. Sonia MilevaSofia University “St. Kliement Ohridski”Sofia University “St. Kliement Ohridski”


Problems

• At system level (GovernmentAt system level (Government): Lack of professional European standards in Tourism for academic curricula, program and disciplines included, Formal accreditation

• At demand level (Business):At demand level (Business): dynamic changes in the market, need of new professions and qualifications (ex. SPA, Animation etc.)

• At supply level (University):At supply level (University): Strong academic approach; Non-actualized study curricula, inadequate disciplines, Different focus (geography, economic scope etc.);


Changes in environment

• Changes in economic and political environment – globalization, internationalization, crisis management;

• Changes in supply and demand at tourism market (competitiveness, behavior, quality)

• Changes at the global market (process of integration, international chains, multinational companies, etc. )

• Tourism impact – ecology, economic, social, cultural…


At University level

• Formal standardization and accreditation process, weakness in legislative norms

• Academic curricula – focus?/Student, employer, combination/

• Methodological framework for education• Experience and qualification of educators


At system level

• Necessity for adequate Investment strategy: investing in people and resources for education;

• Adoption of European Standarts (hours of teaching, transfer of european experience, creating possibilities for iniciatives, generating income for universities)

• Legislative framework and support


Demand level

• Adequate Involvement and establishment of successful partnership

• Declaring necessities and demands• Documentation of operational standards• Investment in Tourism Education


Constant interaction “training provision – business”

Trainer

Service

Quality

Process of Identifying

Entrepreneur

Legislative framework


Weakness – Bulgarian experience

• Lag between supply and demand• Delay between market changes and academic

curricula improvement• Students: Graduated students work abroad or

work in different from tourism area. • Business: low quality, insufficient qualified labor • Educators: Distant from business, academic

curricula;


Recommendations – system level

• providing information about educational opportunities and job market prospects

• integration and support of young people into the labour market

• individualised help as crucial to a preventative policy, including a comprehensive anti-discrimination policy

• training of elderly people


Recommendations – provision level• Presence of a Quality management system with standards

for interaction among the three sides: employer, students, educational providers


Recommendations – demand (business) level

• Involve all relevant actors – encouraging social partners to take responsibility and to develop frameworks;

• Providing incentives to municipalities to offer activation measures at local level.

• Partnership is key for more and better investment in human capital. Social partners should explicitly include training in their collective agreements, through which they set up and implement lifelong learning activities.


Theory

PracticeExperience

Regulations

State Universities

The model

Business

Environment


Success factors – system level• Reflecting the technological development, infrastructural know-how and

innovations in legislation;• Set of tools for assuring the flexibility of the national / regional / local

regulations and recommendations (occupational profiles, occupational/ qualification standards, classification of qualifications, etc.) in order to reflect the changed demand

• Tripartite form of partnerships in the decision making processes;• Trustworthy forecasting methodologies for measuring the demand and the

supply side according to a consultative set of criteria, approved by all levels of interaction;

• National, regional and local standardization of the public-private partnership in the field of matching supply and demand in education and training – provision of regulations for its monitoring and effectiveness.


Success factors – provision level• Flexibility in provision of training programmes – balance between

effectiveness and equality in rights• Presence of a Quality management system with standards for

interaction • Partnership consortia formations between educators and working

places suppliers.• Matching the education provided with the students experience,

needs, expectations, continuous level of satisfaction.• Constant R&D developments on expected changes in the employers’

necessities and level of preparedness of the people on the labour market.


Success factors – demand (business) level• Access to decision making processes on system and provision

level.• Set of procedures for participation in the training provision

process • Investment in Information databases on matching employers’

needs with current job offers.• National, regional, local events on a tripartite basis for active

discussions and feedback on expected changes• Continuous surveys on the existing working force qualifications,

their correspondence to the required ones and the necessity of their further development.


Thank you for your attention!

Sustainablity in higher education in tourism

Business

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