It is said that the hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in terms of job creation. Rapid developments in Johor and the Malaysian Southern Corridor will see huge demand for qualified and skilled workers in this labour intensive sector. The Diploma in Hotel Management (DipHM) programme offered at Sunway College Johor Bahru (SYCJB) since early 2009 provides insights into a wide range of management and specialist subjects to equip students with the expertise they need to embark on a successful career in the hospitality arena. The approach is to offer experiential-based education by providing a broad-based “learning by doing” experience with a career-focused curriculum. This full-time programme has a unique combination of functional and academic content which aims to develop individuals to meet the needs of the largely diverse hospitality industry. Students can expect an enriching learning experience including classroom lectures, tutorials, role play and study field trips. Students will also be trained on two widely used industry specific systems – Micros 3700 Point Of Sales and Opera Property Management System. “Also included in the programme requirement is a 20-week Supervised Work Experience (SWE) conducted in semester 6 where students put their learning into practice,” said Ms Linda Lim, Programme Coordinator. Linda explained that through SWE, students are able to gain real-world exposure as well as valuable work experience for their curriculum vitae and boost employability. “There is only so much I can learn from the textbooks. But through SWE, I’m actually on a hands-on practical training which gives me a real experience on the job,” said Philip Tiu Wei Siang, second year student who is currently undergoing SWE with Mutiara Johor Bahru. Philip and his other course mates rotate their on-the-job-training in the hotel between the Food & Beverage, Housekeeping and Front Desk Operations departments. Soh Yoke Pey, Human Resource Manager of Mutiara Johor Bahru who supervised the students said that it is important for the students to understand the job nature of a hospitality industry. “Certain sacrifices definitely have to be made because of the irregular working hours in the hospitality industry and a high level of confidence is required to provide good customer service,” said Soh. Mutiara Johor Bahru, Dorsett Johor Hotel, Ponderosa Golf & Country Club and Austin Hills Golf Resort are few of SYCJB SWE industry partners. Upon completion of the programme, the DipHM graduates would have gained the following much sought-after knowledge and skills: - understanding the hospitality industry and its past, present and future trends
- excellent customer service skills to ensure repeat business
- management techniques, leadership and specific technical job skills to act in a supervisory role
- applicable knowledge in the use of IT related channels to improve product marketability
- better adaptability towards the concept of teamwork and the hands-on management working way
Successful graduates of the programme enjoy the following options if they wish to further their studies at tertiary level: - Sunway University , Lancaster University – Bachelor of Science (Hons), International Hospitality Management (direct entry into Year 2)
- Cesar Ritz Colleges, Switzerland – Bachelor of International Business, Hotel and Tourism Management (1.5 years including attachment)
- Victoria University, Melbourne – Bachelor of Business, Hospitality Management (3 years including attachment)
- University College Birmingham, UK – Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Hospitality Business Management (1.5 years)
Intakes are in January, March and August. 
Sunway College Johor Bahru Principal Hor Poh Choo (third from left) together with Mutiara Johor Bahru General Manager Khoo Heng Poe (third from right), Mutiara Johor Bahru Human Resource Manager Soh Yoke Pey (second from right) and DipHM students undergoing SWE | 
