Hotels offer scholarships to Lincoln students studying hotel management

Hotels are keen to attract career-minded people who understand their business from having studied hotel management.

Two hotels in Christchurch, The Pavilions and The George, are helping achieve this by offering scholarships to students studying the Bachelor of Commerce (Hotel and Tourism Management) degree at Lincoln University.

Each scholarship includes a $3,000 cash contribution and an employed position and mentoring with the hotel while the student studies.

Associate Professor Anthony Brien is delighted hotels are supporting students studying for a career in hotel management.

"Hotels are an essential and significant component of New Zealand's and international tourism and necessary for corporate and leisure clients seeking to use the services and facilities of hotels," he said. "No matter the style or standard of the hotel, it requires professional management oversight, something the Bachelor of Commerce (Hotel and Tourism Management) focuses on.

"Lincoln University is New Zealand's only university that offers a degree specialisation in hotel management and has done so for the past 20 years."

Hotels offer careers across a range of areas, including operations, marketing, human resource management, accounting and finance, property management, food and beverage, conferencing and events.

Graduates of this degree have the opportunity to travel and work internationally within some of the world's largest hotel chains, as much as small and boutique hotels in exotic locations.

Debbie Horncastle, owner and General Manager of the Pavilions Hotel, said: "Hotels offer careers across a range of areas that can realise your potential, and our scholarship allows the scholar to experience all areas of hotel operations.

"It provides a good mix of study and real-life working experience to develop a complete understanding of managing a hotel and the skills needed in a multi-talented customer service-based employee.

"We are excited to offer this scholarship and look forward to mentoring and working with the scholar as they take their studies into a full hotel-based career in the future."

Similar sentiments are expressed by Mr Bruce Garrett, Managing Director of The George.

"We are very happy to invest in the future of our industry by participating in this programme," he said. "We believe that by supporting young people who are passionate about careers in hotels, we can help promote positive change and sustainable growth for the industry in New Zealand. We look forward to working alongside our inaugural student and those to follow."

The Pavilions and The George scholarships are a first for the New Zealand hotel industry for a student studying for a degree in hotel management.