‘ON SHOW’ – HOSPITALITY & TOURISM EDUCATION & TRAINING – Department of Hospitality Management of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, TTU – Part 1

History 

As part of the Ghana Educational Reforms which began in the 1980s, the Takoradi Technical Institute and five other similar institutions were upgraded by the Polytechnic Act 321 (PNDC Law 1993) to become part of the Ghana Tertiary Education System. The Polytechnics, per the law, began to offer Higher National Diploma (HND) programmers in the 1993/1994 academic year. These reforms mandated the polytechnics to compliment the role of the Universities to increase access to tertiary education for the training of middle and higher-level manpower. 

The Takoradi Technical University was established in September, 2016, as a result of the government’s policy to convert Takoradi Polytechnic, among five other Polytechnics, to the status of Technical University. In effect, since April 1954, Takoradi Technical University (formerly Takoradi Polytechnic) has existed as a Government Technical Institute under the Ghana Education Service of the Ministry of Education.

FACULTIES

Faculty of Applied Sciences

VISION 

To pursue the promotion of knowledge in the applied sciences relevant to industrial growth and job creation through the conduct of research into the industrial sciences, hospitality, statistics, mathematics, ICT and tourism services in Ghana and beyond. 

MISSION 

The Faculty of Applied Sciences is dedicated to churning out technocrats through competency-based teaching approaches with strong industry collaboration in the fields of industrial sciences, hospitality, statistics, and mathematics, ICT and tourism services in order to contribute to the advancement of the Western Region and Ghana as a whole. 

HOSPITALITY DEPARTMENT 

Head of Department (HOD) 

Head of Department (HOD)

Headed by Dr. Mrs. Frances Betty Fraikue, the Hospitality Management Department can boast of 5 Ph.D. holders, 4 Senior Lecturers, 4 lecturers, 15 Assistant lecturers and 7 Technicians. Currently, 11 lecturers have enrolled on various Ph.D. programmes. 

 

Hospitality Management Programmes 

• Bachelor of Technology Top Up 
• Bachelor of Technology 4 year Regular 
• HND in Hotel Catering and Institutional Management 
• Diploma of Technology in Hospitality Management 
• Diploma in Hospitality 

Core Areas Offered by the above Courses 

• Food Production Operation Theory and Practicals 
• Food and Beverage Service Theory and Practicals
• Accommodation Operations Theory and Practicals 
• Front Office Operations Theory and Practicals 

The Head of Department of the Hospitality Management Department, Dr. Mrs. Frances Betty Fraikue is my Guest. She has also given me the opportunity to speak with some students on selected projects in the department. I begin this session, however with her.  

HOST: Thank you, Dr. Fraikue, for this privilege of opening your doors to ghhospitality.net  to showcase the Department of Hospitality, Takoradi Technical University.  

From the preamble we learned that Takoradi Technical University was originally a Polytechnic. It has gained the status of a Technical University for about 5 years now. Kindly explain to my readers how different a Technical University is from a Polytechnic? 

DR. MRS FRAIKUE: In the Hospitality Management Department, there has been a massive upgrade of staff. We can boast of five Ph.D. holders and eleven lecturers have enrolled on various Ph.D. programmes.  

There has also been a massive construction of new buildings which includes extra food and science laboratories. A-4 year Bachelor of Technology CBT has begun in almost all departments. A Bachelor of Technology top-up is organized for HND graduates. 

HOST: The general public sees some of our traditional universities offering similar courses like Hospitality Management which were traditionally in the ‘bosom’ of Polytechnics. What differences if any, should we anticipate in the approach your department, which is in a Technical University, uses in handling ‘Hospitality Management’ from similar departments in the traditional universities? 

DR. MRS FRAIKUE: We do more practical work than the traditional universities. 

A Hospitality graduate from Technical University has a higher hands-on advantage than those who attend the traditional universities. Our compulsory 6 months’ attachment embarked on during the two long vacations also equip the students with current Hospitality skills and knowledge. 

HOST: Alright. Thank you Dr. Fraikue since you have given me the opportunity to speak with some of your students, I will continue my conversation with you afterwards.

PRODUCTION AND RESTAURANT SERVICE ACTIVITIES 

Part 2 continues next week with a show case on students’ projects.