'Educational Development Unit, University of Greenwich'
Abstract
This paper will review the development of level VII hospitality degree programmes aimed at full time employees in the hospitality industry. A review of existing academia will set the scene, after which an explanation and analysis of a new level VII degree developed at London South Bank University (LSBU) will be purported. This new programme is aimed at people who are in full-time employment working within the catering industry (specifically in Universities or the public sector) seeking to develop their career and enhance their practical management skills. Maier (2011) noted that the demands faced by employees of the hospitality industry whilst trying to further their academic knowledge has been seen as a stumbling block to the development of skills within this sector. Consequently, the incorporation of distance-based learning and flexible modes of delivery was incorporated into the development of this Masters programme. The paper will conclude that in order to meet the needs of full time employees seeking to gain Higher Education (HE) qualifications will require the HE sector to become more flexible and adaptable to the way in which they create and deliver level VII programmes
