Before hotel managers and staff were assisting guests with questions on Twitter or giving restaurant recommendations, they were hitting the books in college learning how to best serve the 21st century traveler.

LinkedIn data show Florida International University (FIU), Johnson and Wales University, and Cornell University have some of the highest numbers of graduates working in the hospitality industry. FIU has the most, 5,507, Johnson and Wales has 5,491 and Cornell has 5,091 graduates in hospitality careers. The numbers are based on people indicating their alma mater on LinkedIn.

Companies such as Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, and Starwood Hotels and Resorts are the top employers for hospitality graduates from the three schools, based on the data. These schools say each hotel maintains an active presence on campuses.

Mike Hampton, dean of FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, says the school has strong relationships with Hilton and Starwood for internship and job placements. Many students choose to complete their graduation requirement of 1,000 hours of on-the-job training at these companies.

The school also requires 300 additional hours of placement at a company to solve a real-world hotel management problem, and Hampton said Hilton and Starwood are also popular choices for this placement.

He also said Marriott provides thousands of dollars worth of scholarships to FIU students each year for internships.

“These brands are integrated into our classrooms,” he said. “Experts from these companies come to classes and provide case studies.”

Johnson and Wales’ hotel relationships include Hilton, Marriott, Omni Hotels & Resorts and Walt Disney World, said Miriam Weinstein, a spokesperson for the university’s School of Hospitality. The school will host “Hilton Day” on Oct. 1 when company recruiters will visit the Providence campus, and Bill Marriott, chairman of the board of Marriott International, and his daughter Debbie Marriott Harrison, director of Marriott International, will also be on campus in December.

Source: http://www.skift.com/