Assessment of Hospitality Training Programmes in Polytechnics in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria

This study assesses the quality and relevance of hospitality training programmes offered by polytechnics in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria, with a focus on preparing graduates for industry employment. The hospitality sector's expansion has increased demand for technically skilled professionals, yet a misalignment between academic training content and industry expectations is widely reported by employers. The study adopts a descriptive survey design with structured questionnaires administered to 30 hospitality lecturers, 150 final-year students, and 40 hotel industry supervisors. Findings indicate that while students receive adequate theoretical grounding in hotel operations and food and beverage management, practical industrial attachment periods are frequently shortened or poorly supervised. Employers rate only 52 percent of fresh graduates as job-ready, citing deficiencies in customer relations, digital reservation systems, and kitchen management. Curriculum content is found to lag behind current industry trends, with minimal coverage of sustainable hospitality practices and technology-driven hotel management. The study recommends a curriculum review integrating current industry tools, extended and structured industrial attachment with dedicated mentoring, and formal memoranda of understanding between polytechnics and leading hotels in Plateau State. Regular industry-academia forums are also proposed to ensure ongoing alignment between training and industry expectations. Keywords: hospitality training, polytechnic education, curriculum relevance, industry readiness, Plateau State