Abstract

VAN WYK, Brenda  and  JACOBS, Lorette. Engendering twenty-first century workplace literacy for the hospitality industry: exploring the role of the academic library. SAJLIS [online]. 2019, vol.85, n.1, pp.1-21. ISSN 2304-8263.

With global competition, sustainable development, and economic growth in mind, organisations are under constant pressure to change and stay apace. In the knowledge society where 21^st century attributes are key, the ability to use information towards continuous learning and evolution in the workplace is imperative. Among other qualities, sound workplace literacy is a necessary attribute that students as prospective employees must attain. Student learning must be augmented with relevant experiences to develop a range of literacies related to creativity, innovation, communication, collaboration and the effective use of information in a world where technology evolves rapidly. Higher education needs a better understanding of industry requirements related to the literacies and attributes expected from graduates entering the market. Exploring industry related needs, aligning support and library services accordingly and improving inter-departmental collaboration within higher education will better prepare students for the demands in the challenging and fast-changing world of work. The paper reports on a literature review and the findings of a survey on required workplace literacies in a sector of the hospitality and tourism industry. It highlights the importance of more effective collaboration between academics and librarians in supporting the development of workplace literacy. To this aim a purposive selected target population in a leading South African hotel group was approached. Evidence abound that there is a gap between the level of workplace literacy support offered to students and the actual literacy needs reported by the target group. Based on the findings and extrapolating from recent research, a meta-literacy framework is offered in support of developing 21^st century workplace literacies.

Keywords : Hospitality and tourism; 21^st century workplace literacy; Academic librarians; embedded librarianship; Meta-literacy.

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