Hard Skills of Hospitality Graduates and Hotel Skills Gap Reduction in Selected Four-Star Hotels in Kigali City, Rwanda

Hotels in Rwanda need hospitality graduates whose operational competencies match workplace requirements. This study examined the association between graduates’ hard skills and perceived hotel skills gap reduction in three four-star hotels in Kigali City. Guided by human capital and competency-based theories, a descriptive mixed-methods approach combined questionnaires and manager interviews. Of 220 eligible individuals, 147 were selected (113 graduates and 34 managers), and 136 participated (108 graduates and 28 managers; overall response rate 92.5%). Instruments were reviewed by academic experts and piloted; questionnaire diagnostics yielded KMO = .959 and Cronbach’s alpha = .988. Graduates rated their hard-skills preparation moderately positively (mean = 3.82), particularly event organization, front-office attachments and kitchen practice, but identified weaker conference exposure and bar and restaurant practical’s. Hard skills and perceived skills gap reduction were strongly correlated (r = .951, p < .001; N = 108), with R² = .904. Managers corroborated the value of practical preparation while identifying continuing needs in hotel-specific systems and languages. The study adds Rwanda-specific evidence that training-to-workplace alignment matters, but self-reported measures and possible common-method bias preclude causal interpretation. Hospitality educators should strengthen authentic service practice, industry exposure and hotel partnerships.