Students of the Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Bhubaneswar, attend cookery classes. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 13: The ever-increasing influx of tourists into the state is helping the hospitality industry grow by leaps and bounds. So, training courses in hotel management are becoming one of the most sought-after.

However, the number of students emerging from hotel management training institutes is far less than the requirement in this sector. The central government has, therefore, devised a scheme to increase the number of hotel management professionals through free, short-term courses on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Two courses — craftsmanship course in food and beverage service and craftsmanship course in food and food production — which would last for about six and eight weeks, respectively, have been introduced at government-run hotel management training institutes in the city. To enrol for these courses, candidates must be in the age group of 18 to 25 years. The minimum educational qualification required is class VIII pass. Interestingly, in most hotel management institutes the minimum eligibility is class X or Plus II pass.

The government will also offer stipends to students who secure more than 90 per cent attendance — Rs 1,500 for food and beverage service and Rs 2,000 for food and food production.

“This is a government of India scheme. The hotel industry requires a huge number of professionals at present. This is an initiative to bridge the gap. Many youngsters from different parts of the state have enrolled at our institute,” said Arya Kumar Panigrahi, principal, Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, VSS Nagar.

He added that the scheme is also being implemented in some private hotel management institutes.

The number of seats varies in different institutes and is somewhere between 25 and 30 for each course. At the end of the course, the National Council of Hotel Management (NCHM) will issue a certificate to the students, which will help them find a job.

Sources at the Ranjita Institute of Hotel Management, which is also conducting this course, said this initiative has been undertaken keeping the unemployed youth, primarily women, in mind.

“This course is also aimed at empowering women who are left behind in the employment race,” the source said.

The institutes have received an enthusiastic response from across the state.

Meenu Patra, a young housewife, said: “I was always interested in taking up a course in hotel management, but could not as it involves a lot of money. Since the training will be free, I can learn a few kitchen tricks and who knows, I might end up with a job as well.”