Curriculum Evaluation of the Hotel Management, Catering and Tourism (HMCT) Department of Cameroon Opportunities Industrialization Centre (COIC) Buea: Basis for Curriculum Enhancement

Vocational education provides hands-on training and skills for specific occupations, preparing individuals for direct employment or entrepreneurship in a particular trade, craft, or profession. It focuses on practical and specialized learning through formal courses, apprenticeships, and work-based experiences, often leading to shorter programs and quicker entry into the workforce than traditional academic routes. This specialized training is valuable for both individuals offering marketable skills and career pathways and economies, providing a skilled workforce to meet industry demands. The ultimate aim of any curriculum is to plan and execute a series of experiences in a systematic way to achieve the desired changes in a trainee. Hence, it is of extreme importance to see whether the developed curriculum is meeting its objectives. Global standards in Hospitality Management in terms of academic learning and practical skills are in a very stiff competition. The level of performance of Hotel Catering graduates is a determinant of their Knowledge, Skill, and Attitude (KSA) gotten from the curriculum of their schools. This research aims to fill the skills gap between employer needs and Hotel Catering graduates in so doing, the study proposes a case study evaluation of the program of the department of Hotel Management, Catering and Tourism in Cameroon Opportunities Industrialization Center (COIC). The method was exploratory. 3 qualitative instruments were used to collect data which are; an interview guide to interview 3 Administrators, 15 trainees, 5 Alumni and 6 trainers, document such as the curriculum of the department of Hotel Management, Catering and Tourism and policies were viewed and classroom observation was done during training in both the theory and practical sessions. The Tyler’s rationale was used as the evaluation framework. The data collected was analyzed using both thematic and narrative techniques following the evaluation framework. The findings show that the HMCT department is achieving its goal in training more than 429 Caterers a year notwithstanding there are challenges at the level of English and French Languages, ICT and entrepreneurship aspects of the objective. Further to the above challenges, there are gaps in the entry point qualification management, workshop space, modular/Competency Based Approach of training as required by vocational training schools, Co-curricular activities, specialization, duration, and resources that indicate the need for policy reviews and enhancement. The assessment policy which is done in 3 stage that is the diagnostic, formative and summative was found to be consistent with the objectives, and the stakeholders generally perceive the program in a positive light despite a few challenges raised. It was recommended that: 1) COIC-Buea should have different streams/classes as per the qualifications/entry point of the trainees. 2) There should be an increased in the budget for Training Materials so as to effect the competency-based approach of learning, 3) more entrepreneurship trainers should be employed to effectively handle the course. 4) Specialization should be permitted in the department. The duration of the course should be reviewed to effectively cover the curriculum.