On Friday, September 11, 2026, the Department of Business Administration, Don Bosco College, Panjim, organised an enriching guest session titled “How Training and Development Really Works in a Hotel” for the first-year BBA students. The session was conducted as part of the Human Resource Management course and aimed at providing students with practical exposure to the concepts of training and development in the hospitality industry.
The resource person for the session was Ms. Cezarinha Fernandes, Learning and Development Executive at Vivanta, Panjim, Goa, and a distinguished alumna of Don Bosco College. Drawing from her professional experience, she offered students a comprehensive understanding of the Learning and Development (L&D) function within the hospitality sector and its significance in enhancing employee performance and guest satisfaction.
The session began with an overview of the role and responsibilities of an L&D professional in a hotel environment. Ms. Fernandes introduced students to the complete Learning and Development cycle and explained how training needs are identified using both hard data and soft data. She highlighted methods such as employee interviews, managerial observations, performance reports, and guest feedback. Through relatable hospitality-based examples, including the analysis of increased guest complaints during breakfast service, she demonstrated the importance of identifying root causes before designing training interventions.


The speaker further explained how training programmes are planned and implemented in hotels. Students were introduced to the concept of an annual, quarterly, and monthly training calendar, customised according to departmental requirements. She also discussed the roles of different stakeholders involved in the training process, including the Learning and Development team, certified departmental trainers, supervisors, and external trainers.
A variety of training methods commonly used in the hospitality industry were explored, including on-the-job training, classroom training, role plays, demonstrations, coaching, e-learning, simulations, and experiential learning techniques. The session provided students with practical insights into how organisations combine these methods to build employee competence and maintain service excellence.
Overall, the guest session successfully bridged classroom learning with industry practice, providing students with a realistic understanding of Training and Development in the hospitality sector.