CIT Department of Tourism & Hospitality - Your career starts here!

Tourism is one of Ireland’s most important industries and accounts for one in nine of total employment in the country. By 2025, overseas visitors to Ireland are predicted to increase to in excess of 13 million and employment in the sector is projected to reach over 310,000 people. Back in 2011, the Irish Government earmarked tourism as one of its pillars to provide employment and growth in the economy and in turn the sector created 90,000 new jobs and expanded.

Without a doubt, the Tourism & Hospitality Sector has been heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, it is wise to remember that this industry was one of the first to emerge from the last recession and was an essential driver of the overall economy. The industry is Ireland’s largest indigenous sector and represents over 11% of total employment in the country. Government have placed it at the centre of their national economic plan.

Students – and their parents – should consider the merits of this sector as college courses are considered. The hotel and tourism field offers a lot of variety and students can specialize in areas such as operations, food & beverage, revenue management, events, human resources and sales – just to name a few areas in this diverse industry! Cork and the surrounding area has much growth planned in the sector, with a number of new hotels being built in the City, along with the 6,000 seat Cork Convention Centre, which will be able to host large-scale conferences, conventions and concerts.

A key to servicing these quality venues is the team behind them, and CIT – through its Department of Tourism & Hospitality – offers courses which have led to graduates taking up senior positions with hotels, restaurants, bars and visitor attractions all over the world, as well as at home and indeed in the Cork region.

For those with a passion for hospitality, food and travel, courses are available on both a full-time and part-time basis in areas such as Tourism Management, Hospitality Management, Beverage Industry Management and Culinary Arts. Apprenticeship opportunities are also available for those who want to combine part-time work and their studies. Now is the time to choose a career which will be at the forefront of the country’s recovery.

Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and its Department of Tourism and Hospitality are ideally located in the heart of a tourism region which covers both Cork City and its County. Over the years, we have established solid links with local hotels, restaurants, bars and industrial catering enterprises, which benefit students in both placement and when seeking full-time employment.

The Department of Tourism & Hospitality at CIT offers a well-equipped learning environment with over 600 students studying in their own purpose-built building, on a campus of over 17,000 students, studying in diverse areas such as business, science, engineering and biotechnology. This allows our students to avail of the facilities which accompany such a large campus, including excellent library facilities, student sports facilities and a vibrant societies culture. From January 2021, CIT will join forces with Tralee Institute of Technology to form the Munster Technological University (MTU), allowing our student cohort to benefit from the many advantages of studying as part of a University.

With courses such as Culinary Studies, Culinary Arts, Beverage Industry Management, Hospitality Studies, Hospitality Management and Tourism Management, potential students can choose to study at either level 6, 7 or 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications. The Department encourages progression between courses and students can reach their potential all the way to a Level 10 Doctoral qualification on our campus. Our courses have a strong practical approach combined with the academic study needed to succeed in a modern and vibrant hospitality industry. Industry placement is a key area of focus for the department, which allows students to experience everyday life in their chosen career, while gaining academic credits for their placement – whether in Ireland or abroad in places such as New York, Florida or the UK. Graduates from our department have successfully taken up positions all over the world and hold key management positions in award winning resorts, hotels and visitor attractions. Many have gone on to open their own businesses in the bar trade, the restaurant sector or have developed their own food products to supply retail outlets on a large scale.

So, if you want to work in Ireland’s largest indigenous sector, at an exciting time of development and recovery in the economy, in an industry which is constantly evolving to meet clients changing needs, then now is the time to visit us here in the Department of Tourism & Hospitality at Cork institute of Technology on www.cit.ie/th to view our facilities and listen to some of our student testimonials which show how students such as yourselves can become successful hospitality professionals in a matter of years, through hard-work, dedication and with the support of an experienced lecturing team who regularly connect with industry.

Your career starts here…….

For further information on our courses log onto www.cit.ie/th and for information on the exciting opportunities available in the wider tourism and hospitality sector visit www.tourismcareers.ie