Factors affecting the provision of skilled manpower to the hospitality industry in Kenya : a case study of selected private Training Colleges in Nairobi

Abstract

This research project was carried out to explore the factors that affect the provision of skilled manpower to the hospitality industry in Kenya. The study established the extent to which the government regulations, demand and supply for training, the courses offered, physical facilities and the lecturers affect the provision of skilled manpower to the hospitality industry in Kenya. The researcher used both the exploratory and descriptive research designs to bring out the issues under investigation. The target population for the study was 50 registered colleges by the Commissioner of Higher Education in Kenya ( CHE). These were private training institutions that provide post-secondary school education courses, other than the universities. The researcher purposively took a sample of 30 institutions in Nairobi especially those that offer hospitality courses, that is, catering, tours and travel, hotel management, air lines operations, among others. Data for the study was collected using questionnaires and structured interviews. Additional data was gathered and reviewed from books, magazines, journals, official government publications and previous research studies conducted on related topics. Data for this study was analyzed using measures of central tendencies like mean, modes and median and with the help of SPSS (statistical package for social sciences), the data has been presented in charts, graphs, tables and cross tabulations. The output for this study is this research project paper to be used by future researchers and scholars as well as the stakeholders in the middle level colleges and the hospitality industry as a whole. The researcher has come up with findings on the variables under investigation and made conclusions and some recommendations on the way forward and on how there can be effective provision of skilled manpower to the hospitality industry in Kenya.