51 Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education Room to Move? The challenges of career mobility for tourism education By Kevin Lyons, Ed.D. Introduction A professional career in tourism is enticing to the many who have heard the claims echoed by a range of stakeholders that the tourism industry is growing fast and creating a universe of career opportuni- ties to those willing to become suitably qualified (Department of Industry Tourism and Resources, 2002). However, for those interested in seeking out a professional career in the industry, it is not simply a matter of walking out of university and stepping onto a career path that is stable and clear. In fact, there seems to be a major disconnect between these enthusiastic future tourism professionals and the reali- ties of a career in the tourism industry. While there is some research to the contrary (Choy, 1995), most studies agree that skilled profes- sional tourism workers become disillusioned with their jobs because of a mismatch between expectations and actual workplace realities (Dewar, Sayers & Meyer, 2002). Some estimates of job dissatisfaction in the tourism industry are as high as 80 to 90% (Vecchio, Hearn & Southey, 1996). Unlike other sectors and professions, the successful ‘tourism pro- fessional’ – if indeed there is such a creature – is faced with a volatile labour context where careers rarely follow traditional predictable pat- terns and, as such, these individuals will need skills and knowledge to negotiate this context. The individual who succeeds must develop the ability to carve out a career from within a labour environment that is dominated by an increasingly mobile, casualised and part-time workforce largely driven by small to medium business enterprises. However, tourism education has largely ignored career mobility in the professional preparation of students. This paper examines professional career mobility and the challenges it presents to tourism education. While the following critical discussion focuses primarily upon Australia, the broader debate about preparing students for career mobility has global implications. These far-reaching implications are evident in the international research drawn upon throughout and are addressed in the concluding comments. Career Patterns in the Tourism Industry In Australia, tourism is acknowledged as an industry that is cen- tral to job creation (Tourism Transport Forum Australia, 2004) and accounts for 5.7% of total employment (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004). Some estimates suggest that tourism employment in Australia during the period 1995 to 2000 grew at almost twice the rate of em- ployment in the total economy (Department of Industry Tourism and Resources, 2002). Tourism is considered an important player in the global economy, and has been cited as a major contributor to employ- ment growth worldwide (World Tourism Organization, 2005). While unskilled workers have always been the mainstay of the tourism industry (Vanhove, 2005) the demand for such workers will be eclipsed by the need for professional personnel who can lead the industry in the future (Department of Industry Tourism and Resources, 2002). This trend toward a demand for skilled and credentialed work- ers has been widely recognised as a key indicator that the tourism labour market is undergoing a process of professionalisation on a global scale (Gee, 2002; Hjalager & Andersen, 2001). Gee (2002) has commented that this is especially true in fast growing destinations in the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, countries such as Australia and the United States which have relatively well developed tourism training and education systems are increasingly attractive both domestically and to neighbouring countries of the Asia-Pacific Rim that seek skilled expatriates to fill professional positions. According to a report by the Department of Industry Tourism and Resources (2002), tourism employment in Australia follows global trends toward a highly mobile labour force. A study of the career progress of tourism graduates found that fewer than 40% surveyed were working in the tourism industry (McKercher, Williams & Coghlan, 1995). This pattern of mobility of staff was once limited to those with relatively low levels of formal qualifications. However, as the workforce professionalises, this mobility is being replicated among even the most highly credentialed workers in the industry. Some have suggest- ed that high turnover among professional workers can be attributed to the low pay levels relative to level of education and poor working hours (Riley, Ladkin & Szivas, 2002). Others have suggested that these workers are often overeducated and seek new challenges that will enable them to learn and grow (Brown, 2002; Purcell & Quinn, 1996). The result is a highly mobile tourism labour force. As Brown (2002) suggests: By choice or necessity it’s only natural to be restless in an era with new talent markets encouraging job and career mobility and so many organisations treating employees like just in time inventory … now there is a restless and credentialed cohort … who consider life too short to wait for the promise of a gold watch. These are individual-cen- tred prospectors, not organisation centred loyalists, looking for their own special gold that they have promised themselves and find worth pursuing from one organisation to another. (p.1-2) Loyalty to a particular employer is becoming a thing of the past and although some research shows that employee commitment and Kevin Lyons, Ed.D. is Senior Lecturer at University of Newcastle.